Vida Blue vs Max Fried: Career Stats Comparison
Vida Blue has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Vida Blue played 1969–1986 as a pitcher; Max Fried has played 2017–present 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
Vida Blue (1969–1986) and Max Fried (2017–present) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Vida Blue finished with 209 wins and 2,175 strikeouts; Max Fried has 97 wins and 1,156 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Max Fried, with 3.01 to Vida Blue's 3.27.
- Who won more games? Vida Blue, with 209 to Max Fried's 97.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Vida Blue, with 2,175 to Max Fried's 1,156.
- Who had the better WHIP? Max Fried, with 1.14 to Vida Blue's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Vida Blue, with 3,343.1 to Max Fried's 1,192.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Vida Blue, with 37 to Max Fried's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Max Fried, with 26,852 career Pitcher PIV to Vida Blue's 26,790.
Vida Blue
Max Fried
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 1960s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Max Fried is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Vida Blue | Max Fried |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 209 | 97 |
| Losses not scored | 161 | 46 |
| Games | Leads: 502 | 220 |
| Games Started | Leads: 473 | 203 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 143 | 6 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 37 | 4 |
| Saves | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,175 | 1,156 |
| Walks not scored | 1,185 | 330 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,939 | 1,026 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 263 | 94 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,343.1 | 1,192.1 |
| ERA | 3.27 | Leads: 3.01 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.85 | Leads: 8.73 |
| BB/9 | 3.19 | Leads: 2.49 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Max Fried edges Vida Blue 26,852 to 26,790 — driven by per-season impact — 2,984 PIV per season to 1,576 — rather than by longevity, since Max Fried played 9 seasons to Vida Blue's 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).
Vida Blue — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Max Fried — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Max Fried leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Vida Blue owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Max Fried. PIV agrees: Max Fried grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Vida Blue and Max Fried careers compare
Vida Blue (1969–1986) was finished before Max Fried (2017–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 502 games of Vida Blue with 220 of Max Fried across 17 and 9 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Max Fried comes out ahead, it is in ERA (3.01 to 3.27), WHIP (1.14 to 1.23), and strikeouts per nine (8.73 to 5.85). The per-nine rows read 5.85 strikeouts and 3.19 walks for Vida Blue, 8.73 and 2.49 for Max Fried. Both had the same role: Vida Blue was mainly a starter (473 starts in 502 games); Max Fried was mainly a starter (203 starts in 220 games). Because Max Fried is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Vida Blue vs Max Fried: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Vida Blue or Max Fried?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Vida Blue leads Max Fried in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Max Fried, with 3.01 to Vida Blue's 3.27.
- Who won more games?
- Vida Blue, with 209 to Max Fried's 97.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Vida Blue, with 2,175 to Max Fried's 1,156.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Max Fried, with 1.14 to Vida Blue's 1.23.