Red Ruffing vs Paul Skenes: 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). Red Ruffing played 1924–1947 as a pitcher; Paul Skenes has played 2024–present 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
Red Ruffing (1924–1947) and Paul Skenes (2024–present) — breaking in during the 1920s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Red Ruffing finished with 273 wins and 1,987 strikeouts; Paul Skenes has 31 wins and 586 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Red Ruffing's 3.80.
- Who won more games? Red Ruffing, with 273 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Red Ruffing, with 1,987 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP? Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Red Ruffing's 1.34.
- Who pitched more innings? Red Ruffing, with 4,344.0 to Paul Skenes's 495.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Red Ruffing, with 45 to Paul Skenes's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Red Ruffing, with 17,432 career Pitcher PIV to Paul Skenes's 14,331.
Red Ruffing
Paul Skenes
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 1920s and the 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Paul Skenes is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Red Ruffing | Paul Skenes |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 273 | 31 |
| Losses not scored | 225 | 24 |
| Games | Leads: 624 | 87 |
| Games Started | Leads: 536 | 87 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 335 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 45 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 16 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,987 | 586 |
| Walks not scored | 1,541 | 123 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,284 | 376 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 254 | 41 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,344.0 | 495.0 |
| ERA | 3.80 | Leads: 2.62 |
| WHIP | 1.34 | Leads: 1.01 |
| K/9 | 4.12 | Leads: 10.65 |
| BB/9 | 3.19 | Leads: 2.24 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Red Ruffing leads Paul Skenes 17,432 to 14,331 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Red Ruffing played 23 seasons to Paul Skenes's 2, while Paul Skenes carries the higher per-season figure (7,166 to 758). 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).
Red Ruffing — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Paul Skenes — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Red Ruffing leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Paul Skenes owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Red Ruffing. PIV agrees: Red Ruffing grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Red Ruffing and Paul Skenes careers compare
No season is shared: Red Ruffing played 1924–1947, Paul Skenes 2024–present. The table compares 624 games of Red Ruffing with 87 of Paul Skenes across 23 and 2 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Paul Skenes's edges on the table are ERA (2.62 to 3.80), WHIP (1.01 to 1.34), and strikeouts per nine (10.65 to 4.12). The per-nine rows read 4.12 strikeouts and 3.19 walks for Red Ruffing, 10.65 and 2.24 for Paul Skenes. Both had the same role: Red Ruffing was mainly a starter (536 starts in 624 games); Paul Skenes was mainly a starter (87 starts in 87 games). Because Paul Skenes is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Red Ruffing vs Paul Skenes: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Red Ruffing or Paul Skenes?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Red Ruffing leads Paul Skenes in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Red Ruffing's 3.80.
- Who won more games?
- Red Ruffing, with 273 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Red Ruffing, with 1,987 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Red Ruffing's 1.34.