Paul Skenes vs Joe Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Williams has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Paul Skenes has played 2024–present as a pitcher; Joe Williams played ?–1932 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
Paul Skenes (2024–present) and Joe Williams (?–1932) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Paul Skenes has 31 wins and 586 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Joe Williams finished with 109 wins and 1,033 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Joe Williams, with 2.57 to Paul Skenes's 2.62.
- Who won more games? Joe Williams, with 109 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Joe Williams, with 1,033 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP? Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Joe Williams's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Joe Williams, with 1,517.0 to Paul Skenes's 495.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Joe Williams, with 14 to Paul Skenes's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Joe Williams, with 44,974 career Pitcher PIV to Paul Skenes's 14,331.
Paul Skenes
Joe Williams
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.
Paul Skenes is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Paul Skenes | Joe Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 31 | Leads: 109 |
| Losses not scored | 24 | 59 |
| Games | 87 | Leads: 207 |
| Games Started | 87 | Leads: 172 |
| Complete Games | 1 | Leads: 140 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 14 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 5 |
| Strikeouts | 586 | Leads: 1,033 |
| Walks not scored | 123 | 339 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 376 | 1,456 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 41 | 26 |
| Innings Pitched | 495.0 | Leads: 1,517.0 |
| ERA | 2.62 | Leads: 2.57 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.01 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.65 | 6.13 |
| BB/9 | 2.24 | Leads: 2.01 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Williams outpaces Paul Skenes 44,974 to 14,331 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Joe Williams played 21 seasons to Paul Skenes's 2, while Paul Skenes carries the higher per-season figure (7,166 to 2,142). 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).
Paul Skenes — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Joe Williams — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe Williams leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Paul Skenes owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Joe Williams. PIV agrees: Joe Williams grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Paul Skenes and Joe Williams careers compare
Joe Williams (?–1932) was finished before Paul Skenes (2024–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. Joe Williams has the far longer record, 207 games against 87 across 2 and 21 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Paul Skenes's edges on the table are WHIP (1.01 to 1.18) and strikeouts per nine (10.65 to 6.13). The per-nine rows read 10.65 strikeouts and 2.24 walks for Paul Skenes, 6.13 and 2.01 for Joe Williams. Both had the same role: Paul Skenes was mainly a starter (87 starts in 87 games); Joe Williams was mainly a starter (172 starts in 207 games). Paul Skenes's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Paul Skenes vs Joe Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Paul Skenes or Joe Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Williams leads Paul Skenes in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Joe Williams, with 2.57 to Paul Skenes's 2.62.
- Who won more games?
- Joe Williams, with 109 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Joe Williams, with 1,033 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Joe Williams's 1.18.