Larry Andersen vs Dave Righetti: Career Stats Comparison
Dave Righetti has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Dave Righetti played 1979–1995 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 Dave Righetti (1979–1995) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Larry Andersen finished with 40 wins and 758 strikeouts; Dave Righetti finished with 82 wins and 1,112 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Larry Andersen, with 3.15 to Dave Righetti's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Dave Righetti, with 82 to Larry Andersen's 40.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Dave Righetti, with 1,112 to Larry Andersen's 758.
- Who had the better WHIP? Larry Andersen, with 1.25 to Dave Righetti's 1.34.
- Who pitched more innings? Dave Righetti, with 1,403.2 to Larry Andersen's 995.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Dave Righetti, with 2 to Larry Andersen's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Larry Andersen, with 22,588 career Pitcher PIV to Dave Righetti's 20,202.
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. 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.
| Statistic | Larry Andersen | Dave Righetti |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 40 | Leads: 82 |
| Losses not scored | 39 | 79 |
| Games | 699 | Leads: 718 |
| Games Started | 1 | Leads: 89 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 13 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 2 |
| Saves | 49 | Leads: 252 |
| Strikeouts | 758 | Leads: 1,112 |
| Walks not scored | 311 | 591 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 932 | 1,287 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 58 | 95 |
| Innings Pitched | 995.1 | Leads: 1,403.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.15 | 3.46 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.25 | 1.34 |
| K/9 | 6.85 | Leads: 7.13 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.81 | 3.79 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Larry Andersen leads Dave Righetti 22,588 to 20,202 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,189 PIV per season to 1,188, across 19 seasons to 17. 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.
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.
Related Matchups
How the Larry Andersen and Dave Righetti careers compare
Larry Andersen and Dave Righetti were active at the same time between 1979 and 1994. The two careers are close in length, 699 games for Larry Andersen and 718 for Dave Righetti across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Larry Andersen are ERA (3.15 to 3.46), WHIP (1.25 to 1.34), and walks per nine (2.81 to 3.79). By rate, Larry Andersen struck out 6.85 and walked 2.81 per nine innings; Dave Righetti struck out 7.13 and walked 3.79.
Larry Andersen vs Dave Righetti: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Larry Andersen or Dave Righetti?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Righetti leads Larry Andersen in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Larry Andersen, with 3.15 to Dave Righetti's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Dave Righetti, with 82 to Larry Andersen's 40.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Dave Righetti, with 1,112 to Larry Andersen's 758.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Larry Andersen, with 1.25 to Dave Righetti's 1.34.