John Axford vs. Carl Mays — Career Comparison

Carl Mays built a career as a starting pitcher and John Axford as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. Carl Mays posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 2.92 and WHIP 1.207 compared to 3.9 and 1.455 for John Axford. By the career numbers, Carl Mays had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.