Billy Pierce vs Robin Roberts: Career Stats Comparison
Robin Roberts has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Billy Pierce played 1945–1964 as a pitcher; Robin Roberts played 1948–1966 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
Billy Pierce (1945–1964) and Robin Roberts (1948–1966) — both debuted in the 1940s. Billy Pierce finished with 211 wins and 1,999 strikeouts; Robin Roberts finished with 286 wins and 2,357 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Robin Roberts, in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Billy Pierce, with 3.27 to Robin Roberts's 3.41.
- Who won more games? Robin Roberts, with 286 to Billy Pierce's 211.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Robin Roberts, with 2,357 to Billy Pierce's 1,999.
- Who had the better WHIP? Robin Roberts, with 1.17 to Billy Pierce's 1.26.
- How many innings did each pitch? Billy Pierce 3,306.2, Robin Roberts 4,688.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Robin Roberts, with 45 to Billy Pierce's 38.
Billy Pierce
Robin Roberts
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | Billy Pierce | Robin Roberts |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 211 | Leads: 286 |
| Losses not scored | 169 | 245 |
| Games not scored | 585 | 676 |
| Games Started not scored | 432 | 609 |
| Complete Games | 193 | Leads: 305 |
| Shutouts | 38 | Leads: 45 |
| Saves not scored | 32 | 25 |
| Strikeouts | 1,999 | Leads: 2,357 |
| Walks not scored | 1,178 | 902 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,989 | 4,582 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 284 | 505 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,306.2 | 4,688.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.27 | 3.41 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.17 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.44 | 4.52 |
| BB/9 | 3.21 | Leads: 1.73 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Robin Roberts leads Billy Pierce 49,794 to 39,435 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,621 PIV per season to 2,191, across 19 seasons to 18. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Billy Pierce — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Robin Roberts — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Robin Roberts leads 6 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Billy Pierce leads 2: ERA and strikeouts per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Robin Roberts. PIV agrees: Robin Roberts grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Billy Pierce and Robin Roberts careers compare
Billy Pierce and Robin Roberts were active at the same time between 1948 and 1964. The two careers are close in length, 585 games for Billy Pierce and 676 for Robin Roberts across 18 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Billy Pierce comes out ahead, it is in ERA (3.27 to 3.41) and strikeouts per nine (5.44 to 4.52). By rate, Billy Pierce struck out 5.44 and walked 3.21 per nine innings; Robin Roberts struck out 4.52 and walked 1.73. Billy Pierce was mainly a starter (432 starts in 585 games), and Robin Roberts was mainly a starter (609 starts in 676 games).
Billy Pierce vs Robin Roberts: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Billy Pierce or Robin Roberts?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Robin Roberts leads Billy Pierce in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Billy Pierce, with 3.27 to Robin Roberts's 3.41.
- Who won more games?
- Robin Roberts, with 286 to Billy Pierce's 211.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Robin Roberts, with 2,357 to Billy Pierce's 1,999.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Robin Roberts, with 1.17 to Billy Pierce's 1.26.