Bert Blyleven vs Ron Guidry: Career Stats Comparison
Bert Blyleven has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Bert Blyleven played 1970–1992 as a pitcher; Ron Guidry played 1975–1988 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
Bert Blyleven (1970–1992) and Ron Guidry (1975–1988) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Bert Blyleven finished with 287 wins and 3,701 strikeouts; Ron Guidry finished with 170 wins and 1,778 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Ron Guidry, with 3.29 to Bert Blyleven's 3.31.
- Who won more games? Bert Blyleven, with 287 to Ron Guidry's 170.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bert Blyleven, with 3,701 to Ron Guidry's 1,778.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ron Guidry, with 1.18 to Bert Blyleven's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Bert Blyleven, with 4,970.0 to Ron Guidry's 2,392.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bert Blyleven, with 60 to Ron Guidry's 26.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bert Blyleven, with 74,910 career Pitcher PIV to Ron Guidry's 37,878.
Bert Blyleven
Ron Guidry
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bert Blyleven | Ron Guidry |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 287 | 170 |
| Losses not scored | 250 | 91 |
| Games | Leads: 692 | 368 |
| Games Started | Leads: 685 | 323 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 242 | 95 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 60 | 26 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 4 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,701 | 1,778 |
| Walks not scored | 1,322 | 633 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,632 | 2,198 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 430 | 226 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,970.0 | 2,392.0 |
| ERA | 3.31 | Leads: 3.29 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.70 | 6.69 |
| BB/9 | 2.39 | Leads: 2.38 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bert Blyleven outpaces Ron Guidry 74,910 to 37,878 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,121 PIV per season to 2,706, across 24 seasons to 14. 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).
Bert Blyleven — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Ron Guidry — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bert Blyleven leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Ron Guidry owns ERA and 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.
Related Matchups
How the Bert Blyleven and Ron Guidry careers compare
From 1975 through 1988, Bert Blyleven and Ron Guidry were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Bert Blyleven appeared in 692 games to Ron Guidry's 368. The green cells for Ron Guidry are saves (4 to 0), ERA (3.29 to 3.31), and WHIP (1.18 to 1.20). The per-nine rows read 6.70 strikeouts and 2.39 walks for Bert Blyleven, 6.69 and 2.38 for Ron Guidry. Both had the same role: Bert Blyleven was mainly a starter (685 starts in 692 games); Ron Guidry was mainly a starter (323 starts in 368 games). In WHIP, Ron Guidry's 1.18 beats Bert Blyleven's 1.20.
Bert Blyleven vs Ron Guidry: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bert Blyleven or Ron Guidry?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bert Blyleven leads Ron Guidry in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ron Guidry, with 3.29 to Bert Blyleven's 3.31.
- Who won more games?
- Bert Blyleven, with 287 to Ron Guidry's 170.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bert Blyleven, with 3,701 to Ron Guidry's 1,778.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ron Guidry, with 1.18 to Bert Blyleven's 1.20.