Vida Blue vs Mickey Lolich: Career Stats Comparison
Vida Blue (1969–1986) and Mickey Lolich (1963–1979) — both came up during the 1960s, so the matchup is a direct one. Vida Blue compiled 209 wins and 2,175 strikeouts; Mickey Lolich put up 217 wins and 2,832 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Vida Blue
Mickey Lolich
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 | Vida Blue | Mickey Lolich |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 209 | 217 |
| Losses | 161 | 191 |
| Games | 502 | 586 |
| Games Started | 473 | 496 |
| Complete Games | 143 | 195 |
| Shutouts | 37 | 41 |
| Saves | 2 | 11 |
| Strikeouts | 2,175 | 2,832 |
| Walks | 1,185 | 1,099 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,939 | 3,366 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 263 | 347 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,343 | 3,638 |
| ERA | 3.27 | 3.44 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | 1.23 |
| K/9 | 5.85 | 7.01 |
| BB/9 | 3.19 | 2.72 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mickey Lolich leads Vida Blue 32,209 to 26,790 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,013 vs 1,576 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).
Vida Blue — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Mickey Lolich — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mickey Lolich leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Vida Blue owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mickey Lolich. PIV agrees: Mickey Lolich grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.