Bob Kelly vs. John Patterson — Career Comparison

Looking at the career totals, Bob Kelly and John Patterson are fairly close on the surface numbers. John Patterson posted stronger numbers in ERA (4.32 vs 4.5) and WHIP (1.400 vs 1.456). Bob Kelly had the advantage in home runs allowed (0.7 per nine innings vs 1.19). By the career numbers, John Patterson had the better of this comparison — though ERA and WHIP alone don't account for era, park factors, or the defenses each pitcher worked behind.