Larry Andersen vs Alejandro Peña: Career Stats Comparison
Alejandro Peña 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). Larry Andersen played 1975–1994 as a pitcher; Alejandro Peña played 1981–1996 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
Larry Andersen (1975–1994) and Alejandro Peña (1981–1996) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Larry Andersen finished with 40 wins and 758 strikeouts; Alejandro Peña finished with 56 wins and 839 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Alejandro Peña, with 3.11 to Larry Andersen's 3.15.
- Who won more games? Alejandro Peña, with 56 to Larry Andersen's 40.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Alejandro Peña, with 839 to Larry Andersen's 758.
- Who had the better WHIP? Alejandro Peña, with 1.22 to Larry Andersen's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Alejandro Peña, with 1,057.2 to Larry Andersen's 995.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Alejandro Peña, with 7 to Larry Andersen's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Larry Andersen, with 22,588 career Pitcher PIV to Alejandro Peña's 22,404.
Larry Andersen
Alejandro Peña
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 1970s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Larry Andersen | Alejandro Peña |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 40 | Leads: 56 |
| Losses not scored | 39 | 52 |
| Games | Leads: 699 | 503 |
| Games Started | 1 | Leads: 72 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 12 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 7 |
| Saves | 49 | Leads: 74 |
| Strikeouts | 758 | Leads: 839 |
| Walks not scored | 311 | 331 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 932 | 959 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 58 | 75 |
| Innings Pitched | 995.1 | Leads: 1,057.2 |
| ERA | 3.15 | Leads: 3.11 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | Leads: 1.22 |
| K/9 | 6.85 | Leads: 7.14 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.81 | 2.82 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Larry Andersen edges Alejandro Peña 22,588 to 22,404 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Larry Andersen played 19 seasons to Alejandro Peña's 18, while Alejandro Peña carries the higher per-season figure (1,245 to 1,189). 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).
Larry Andersen
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Alejandro Peña — top 2 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Alejandro Peña leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Larry Andersen owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Alejandro Peña. Note that PIV actually grades Larry Andersen ahead, which means Alejandro Peña's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Larry Andersen and Alejandro Peña careers compare
Larry Andersen and Alejandro Peña were active at the same time between 1981 and 1994. The two careers are close in length, 699 games for Larry Andersen and 503 for Alejandro Peña across 19 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Larry Andersen's edges on the table are games (699 to 503) and walks per nine (2.81 to 2.82). The per-nine rows read 6.85 strikeouts and 2.81 walks for Larry Andersen, 7.14 and 2.82 for Alejandro Peña. Larry Andersen worked mostly in relief (1 starts in 699 games, 49 saves), and Alejandro Peña worked mostly in relief (72 starts in 503 games, 74 saves).
Larry Andersen vs Alejandro Peña: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Larry Andersen or Alejandro Peña?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Alejandro Peña leads Larry Andersen in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Alejandro Peña, with 3.11 to Larry Andersen's 3.15.
- Who won more games?
- Alejandro Peña, with 56 to Larry Andersen's 40.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Alejandro Peña, with 839 to Larry Andersen's 758.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Alejandro Peña, with 1.22 to Larry Andersen's 1.25.