Larry Andersen vs Dave Righetti: Career Stats Comparison
Larry Andersen (1975–1994) and Dave Righetti (1979–1995) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Larry Andersen compiled 40 wins and 758 strikeouts; Dave Righetti put up 82 wins and 1,112 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Larry Andersen
Dave Righetti
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 | Larry Andersen | Dave Righetti |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 40 | 82 |
| Losses | 39 | 79 |
| Games | 699 | 718 |
| Games Started | 1 | 89 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 13 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 2 |
| Saves | 49 | 252 |
| Strikeouts | 758 | 1,112 |
| Walks | 311 | 591 |
| Hits Allowed | 932 | 1,287 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 58 | 95 |
| Innings Pitched | 995 | 1,403 |
| ERA | 3.15 | 3.46 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | 1.34 |
| K/9 | 6.85 | 7.13 |
| BB/9 | 2.81 | 3.79 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Larry Andersen leads Dave Righetti 22,588 to 20,202 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,189 vs 1,188 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Larry Andersen — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Dave Righetti — top 2 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dave Righetti leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Larry Andersen owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dave Righetti. Note that PIV actually grades Larry Andersen ahead, which means Dave Righetti's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.