Bert Blyleven vs Fergie Jenkins: Career Stats Comparison
Bert Blyleven has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Bert Blyleven played 1970–1992 as a pitcher; Fergie Jenkins played 1965–1983 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 Fergie Jenkins (1965–1983) — they debuted in the 1970s and the 1960s respectively and share 14 seasons. Bert Blyleven finished with 287 wins and 3,701 strikeouts; Fergie Jenkins finished with 284 wins and 3,192 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Bert Blyleven, in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Bert Blyleven, with 3.31 to Fergie Jenkins's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Bert Blyleven, with 287 to Fergie Jenkins's 284.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bert Blyleven, with 3,701 to Fergie Jenkins's 3,192.
- Who had the better WHIP? Fergie Jenkins, with 1.14 to Bert Blyleven's 1.20.
- How many innings did each pitch? Bert Blyleven 4,970.0, Fergie Jenkins 4,500.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bert Blyleven, with 60 to Fergie Jenkins's 49.
Bert Blyleven
Fergie Jenkins
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | Fergie Jenkins |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 287 | 284 |
| Losses not scored | 250 | 226 |
| Games not scored | 692 | 664 |
| Games Started not scored | 685 | 594 |
| Complete Games | 242 | Leads: 267 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 60 | 49 |
| Saves not scored | 0 | 7 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,701 | 3,192 |
| Walks not scored | 1,322 | 997 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,632 | 4,142 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 430 | 484 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 4,970.0 | 4,500.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.31 | 3.34 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.70 | 6.38 |
| BB/9 | 2.39 | Leads: 1.99 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bert Blyleven outpaces Fergie Jenkins 74,910 to 40,614 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,405 PIV per season to 2,138, across 22 seasons to 19. 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)
Fergie Jenkins — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Bert Blyleven leads 5 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, shutouts, strikeouts, ERA, and others. Fergie Jenkins leads 3: complete games, WHIP, and walks per nine. 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 Fergie Jenkins careers compare
The careers of Bert Blyleven (1970–1992) and Fergie Jenkins (1965–1983) overlapped from 1970 to 1983, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 692 games against 664 across 22 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Fergie Jenkins's edges on the table are complete games (267 to 242), WHIP (1.14 to 1.20), and walks per nine (1.99 to 2.39). The per-nine rows read 6.70 strikeouts and 2.39 walks for Bert Blyleven, 6.38 and 1.99 for Fergie Jenkins. Bert Blyleven was mainly a starter (685 starts in 692 games), and Fergie Jenkins was mainly a starter (594 starts in 664 games).
Bert Blyleven vs Fergie Jenkins: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bert Blyleven or Fergie Jenkins?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bert Blyleven leads Fergie Jenkins in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bert Blyleven, with 3.31 to Fergie Jenkins's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Bert Blyleven, with 287 to Fergie Jenkins's 284.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bert Blyleven, with 3,701 to Fergie Jenkins's 3,192.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 1.14 to Bert Blyleven's 1.20.