Vida Blue vs Jon Matlack: Career Stats Comparison
Vida Blue (1969–1986) and Jon Matlack (1971–1983) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Vida Blue compiled 209 wins and 2,175 strikeouts; Jon Matlack put up 125 wins and 1,516 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Vida Blue
Jon Matlack
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 | Jon Matlack |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 209 | 125 |
| Losses | 161 | 126 |
| Games | 502 | 361 |
| Games Started | 473 | 318 |
| Complete Games | 143 | 97 |
| Shutouts | 37 | 30 |
| Saves | 2 | 3 |
| Strikeouts | 2,175 | 1,516 |
| Walks | 1,185 | 638 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,939 | 2,276 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 263 | 161 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,343 | 2,363 |
| ERA | 3.27 | 3.18 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | 1.23 |
| K/9 | 5.85 | 5.77 |
| BB/9 | 3.19 | 2.43 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jon Matlack outpaces Vida Blue 38,811 to 26,790 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,985 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)
Jon Matlack — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Vida Blue leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Jon Matlack owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Vida Blue. Note that PIV actually grades Jon Matlack ahead, which means Vida Blue's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.