Vida Blue vs Max Scherzer: Career Stats Comparison
Vida Blue and Max Scherzer are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Vida Blue played 1969–1986 as a pitcher; Max Scherzer has played 2008–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 Scherzer (2008–present) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Vida Blue finished with 209 wins and 2,175 strikeouts; Max Scherzer has 225 wins and 3,557 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Vida Blue, with 3.27 to Max Scherzer's 3.29.
- Who won more games? Max Scherzer, with 225 to Vida Blue's 209.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Max Scherzer, with 3,557 to Vida Blue's 2,175.
- Who had the better WHIP? Max Scherzer, with 1.09 to Vida Blue's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Vida Blue, with 3,343.1 to Max Scherzer's 3,047.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Vida Blue, with 37 to Max Scherzer's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Max Scherzer, with 68,491 career Pitcher PIV to Vida Blue's 26,790.
Vida Blue
Max Scherzer
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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Max Scherzer is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Vida Blue | Max Scherzer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 209 | Leads: 225 |
| Losses not scored | 161 | 126 |
| Games | Leads: 502 | 501 |
| Games Started | 473 | Leads: 492 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 143 | 12 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 37 | 5 |
| Saves | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,175 | Leads: 3,557 |
| Walks not scored | 1,185 | 814 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,939 | 2,511 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 263 | 369 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,343.1 | 3,047.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.27 | 3.29 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 1.09 |
| K/9 | 5.85 | Leads: 10.50 |
| BB/9 | 3.19 | Leads: 2.40 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Max Scherzer outpaces Vida Blue 68,491 to 26,790 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,425 PIV per season to 1,576, across 20 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).
Vida Blue — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Max Scherzer — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Max Scherzer leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Vida Blue owns ERA and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Max Scherzer. PIV agrees: Max Scherzer 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 Scherzer careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Vida Blue's ended in 1986, and Max Scherzer debuted in 2008. The two careers are close in length, 502 games for Vida Blue and 501 for Max Scherzer across 17 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 5.85 strikeouts and 3.19 walks for Vida Blue, 10.50 and 2.40 for Max Scherzer. Vida Blue was mainly a starter (473 starts in 502 games), and Max Scherzer was mainly a starter (492 starts in 501 games). Complete games (143 to 12) show how differently the two eras used starters. Max Scherzer allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.09 WHIP to Vida Blue's 1.23. Because Max Scherzer is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Vida Blue vs Max Scherzer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Vida Blue, with 3.27 to Max Scherzer's 3.29.
- Who won more games?
- Max Scherzer, with 225 to Vida Blue's 209.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Max Scherzer, with 3,557 to Vida Blue's 2,175.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Max Scherzer, with 1.09 to Vida Blue's 1.23.