Bob Lemon vs Warren Spahn: Career Stats Comparison
Warren Spahn has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Bob Lemon played 1941–1958 as a pitcher; Warren Spahn played 1942–1965 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
Bob Lemon (1941–1958) and Warren Spahn (1942–1965) — both came up during the 1940s, so the matchup is a direct one. Bob Lemon finished with 207 wins and 1,277 strikeouts; Warren Spahn finished with 363 wins and 2,583 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Warren Spahn, with 3.09 to Bob Lemon's 3.23.
- Who won more games? Warren Spahn, with 363 to Bob Lemon's 207.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Warren Spahn, with 2,583 to Bob Lemon's 1,277.
- Who had the better WHIP? Warren Spahn, with 1.19 to Bob Lemon's 1.34.
- Who pitched more innings? Warren Spahn, with 5,243.2 to Bob Lemon's 2,850.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Warren Spahn, with 63 to Bob Lemon's 31.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Warren Spahn, with 63,558 career Pitcher PIV to Bob Lemon's 14,410.
Bob Lemon
Warren Spahn
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bob Lemon | Warren Spahn |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 207 | Leads: 363 |
| Losses not scored | 128 | 245 |
| Games | 460 | Leads: 750 |
| Games Started | 350 | Leads: 665 |
| Complete Games | 188 | Leads: 382 |
| Shutouts | 31 | Leads: 63 |
| Saves | 22 | Leads: 29 |
| Strikeouts | 1,277 | Leads: 2,583 |
| Walks not scored | 1,251 | 1,434 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,559 | 4,830 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 181 | 434 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,850.0 | Leads: 5,243.2 |
| ERA | 3.23 | Leads: 3.09 |
| WHIP | 1.34 | Leads: 1.19 |
| K/9 | 4.03 | Leads: 4.43 |
| BB/9 | 3.95 | Leads: 2.46 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Warren Spahn outpaces Bob Lemon 63,558 to 14,410 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,889 PIV per season to 1,108, across 22 seasons to 13. 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).
Bob Lemon — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Warren Spahn — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Warren Spahn leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Bob Lemon owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Warren Spahn. PIV agrees: Warren Spahn grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bob Lemon and Warren Spahn careers compare
The careers of Bob Lemon (1941–1958) and Warren Spahn (1942–1965) overlapped from 1942 to 1958, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Warren Spahn has the far longer record, 750 games against 460 across 13 and 22 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Every scored category on the table goes to Warren Spahn. The per-nine rows read 4.03 strikeouts and 3.95 walks for Bob Lemon, 4.43 and 2.46 for Warren Spahn. Bob Lemon was mainly a starter (350 starts in 460 games), and Warren Spahn was mainly a starter (665 starts in 750 games). In WHIP, Warren Spahn's 1.19 beats Bob Lemon's 1.34.
Bob Lemon vs Warren Spahn: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bob Lemon or Warren Spahn?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Warren Spahn leads Bob Lemon in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Warren Spahn, with 3.09 to Bob Lemon's 3.23.
- Who won more games?
- Warren Spahn, with 363 to Bob Lemon's 207.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Warren Spahn, with 2,583 to Bob Lemon's 1,277.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Warren Spahn, with 1.19 to Bob Lemon's 1.34.