Bob Rush vs Warren Spahn: Career Stats Comparison

Bob Rush (1948–1960) and Warren Spahn (1942–1965) — both came up during the 1940s, so the matchup is a direct one. Bob Rush compiled 127 wins and 1,244 strikeouts; Warren Spahn put up 363 wins and 2,583 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Bob Rush

Pitcher · 1948–1960
Wins
127
Losses
152
Strikeouts
1,244
ERA
3.65
WHIP
1.29
IP
2,410
View Bob Rush's full profile →

Warren Spahn

Pitcher · 1942–1965
Wins
363
Losses
245
Strikeouts
2,583
ERA
3.09
WHIP
1.19
IP
5,243
View Warren Spahn's full profile →

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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.

Statistic Bob Rush Warren Spahn
Wins 127 363
Losses 152 245
Games 417 750
Games Started 321 665
Complete Games 118 382
Shutouts 16 63
Saves 8 29
Strikeouts 1,244 2,583
Walks 789 1,434
Hits Allowed 2,327 4,830
Home Runs Allowed 177 434
Innings Pitched 2,410 5,243
ERA 3.65 3.09
WHIP 1.29 1.19
K/9 4.64 4.43
BB/9 2.95 2.46

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Warren Spahn outpaces Bob Rush 63,558 to 35,739 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,889 vs 2,553 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Bob Rush
35,739
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,553 per season (14 seasons)
Warren Spahn
63,558
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,889 per season (22 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).

Bob Rush — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19522.70 ERA17-13, 157 K in 250 IP
19563.19 ERA13-10, 104 K in 239 IP
19583.42 ERA10-6, 84 K in 147 IP

Warren Spahn — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19532.10 ERA23-7, 148 K in 265 IP
19472.33 ERA21-10, 123 K in 289 IP
19632.60 ERA23-7, 102 K in 259 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Warren Spahn leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Bob Rush owns K/9. 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.

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