Max Fried vs Red Ruffing: Career Stats Comparison
Red Ruffing has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Max Fried has played 2017–present as a pitcher; Red Ruffing played 1924–1947 as a pitcher.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
Max Fried (2017–present) and Red Ruffing (1924–1947) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1920s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Max Fried has 97 wins and 1,156 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Red Ruffing finished with 273 wins and 1,987 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Max Fried, with 3.01 to Red Ruffing's 3.80.
- Who won more games? Red Ruffing, with 273 to Max Fried's 97.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Red Ruffing, with 1,987 to Max Fried's 1,156.
- Who had the better WHIP? Max Fried, with 1.14 to Red Ruffing's 1.34.
- Who pitched more innings? Red Ruffing, with 4,344.0 to Max Fried's 1,192.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Red Ruffing, with 45 to Max Fried's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Max Fried, with 26,852 career Pitcher PIV to Red Ruffing's 17,432.
Max Fried
Red Ruffing
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate. Cells highlighted in green mark the player who leads that line. Lower ERA, WHIP and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads. 12 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 4 are counting totals on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded them. Totals where fewer is not an achievement -- losses, walks and hits allowed -- are left unmarked, because they track how long someone pitched rather than how well. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 2010s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Max Fried is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Max Fried | Red Ruffing |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 97 | Leads: 273 |
| Losses not scored | 46 | 225 |
| Games | 220 | Leads: 624 |
| Games Started | 203 | Leads: 536 |
| Complete Games | 6 | Leads: 335 |
| Shutouts | 4 | Leads: 45 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 16 |
| Strikeouts | 1,156 | Leads: 1,987 |
| Walks not scored | 330 | 1,541 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,026 | 4,284 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 94 | 254 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,192.1 | Leads: 4,344.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.01 | 3.80 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.34 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.73 | 4.12 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.49 | 3.19 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Max Fried outpaces Red Ruffing 26,852 to 17,432 — driven by per-season impact — 2,984 PIV per season to 758 — rather than by longevity, since Max Fried played 9 seasons to Red Ruffing's 23. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Max Fried — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Red Ruffing — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Max Fried leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Red Ruffing owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Max Fried. PIV agrees: Max Fried grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Max Fried and Red Ruffing careers compare
No season is shared: Red Ruffing played 1924–1947, Max Fried 2017–present. The table compares 220 games of Max Fried with 624 of Red Ruffing across 9 and 23 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Max Fried comes out ahead, it is in ERA (3.01 to 3.80), WHIP (1.14 to 1.34), and strikeouts per nine (8.73 to 4.12). By rate, Max Fried struck out 8.73 and walked 2.49 per nine innings; Red Ruffing struck out 4.12 and walked 3.19. Both had the same role: Max Fried was mainly a starter (203 starts in 220 games); Red Ruffing was mainly a starter (536 starts in 624 games). Because Max Fried is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Max Fried vs Red Ruffing: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Max Fried or Red Ruffing?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Red Ruffing leads Max Fried in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Max Fried, with 3.01 to Red Ruffing's 3.80.
- Who won more games?
- Red Ruffing, with 273 to Max Fried's 97.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Red Ruffing, with 1,987 to Max Fried's 1,156.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Max Fried, with 1.14 to Red Ruffing's 1.34.