Vida Blue vs Jerry Reuss: Career Stats Comparison
Vida Blue (1969–1986) and Jerry Reuss (1969–1990) — both came up during the 1960s, so the matchup is a direct one. Vida Blue compiled 209 wins and 2,175 strikeouts; Jerry Reuss put up 220 wins and 1,907 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Vida Blue
Jerry Reuss
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 | Jerry Reuss |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 209 | 220 |
| Losses | 161 | 191 |
| Games | 502 | 628 |
| Games Started | 473 | 547 |
| Complete Games | 143 | 127 |
| Shutouts | 37 | 39 |
| Saves | 2 | 11 |
| Strikeouts | 2,175 | 1,907 |
| Walks | 1,185 | 1,127 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,939 | 3,734 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 263 | 245 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,343 | 3,669 |
| ERA | 3.27 | 3.64 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | 5.85 | 4.68 |
| BB/9 | 3.19 | 2.76 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jerry Reuss leads Vida Blue 29,536 to 26,790 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,181 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)
Jerry Reuss — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Vida Blue leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Jerry Reuss owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Vida Blue. Note that PIV actually grades Jerry Reuss ahead, which means Vida Blue's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.