Bert Blyleven vs John Candelaria: Career Stats Comparison
Bert Blyleven (1970–1992) and John Candelaria (1975–1993) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Bert Blyleven compiled 287 wins and 3,701 strikeouts; John Candelaria put up 177 wins and 1,673 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Bert Blyleven
John Candelaria
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 | Bert Blyleven | John Candelaria |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 287 | 177 |
| Losses | 250 | 122 |
| Games | 692 | 600 |
| Games Started | 685 | 356 |
| Complete Games | 242 | 54 |
| Shutouts | 60 | 13 |
| Saves | 0 | 29 |
| Strikeouts | 3,701 | 1,673 |
| Walks | 1,322 | 592 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,632 | 2,399 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 430 | 245 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,970 | 2,525 |
| ERA | 3.31 | 3.33 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | 6.70 | 5.96 |
| BB/9 | 2.39 | 2.11 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bert Blyleven outpaces John Candelaria 74,910 to 28,405 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,121 vs 1,235 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).
Bert Blyleven — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
John Candelaria — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bert Blyleven leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while John Candelaria owns WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bert Blyleven. PIV agrees: Bert Blyleven grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.