Bert Blyleven vs Sandy Koufax: 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; Sandy Koufax played 1955–1966 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 Sandy Koufax (1955–1966) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1950s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bert Blyleven finished with 287 wins and 3,701 strikeouts; Sandy Koufax finished with 165 wins and 2,396 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Sandy Koufax, with 2.76 to Bert Blyleven's 3.31.
- Who won more games? Bert Blyleven, with 287 to Sandy Koufax's 165.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bert Blyleven, with 3,701 to Sandy Koufax's 2,396.
- Who had the better WHIP? Sandy Koufax, with 1.11 to Bert Blyleven's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Bert Blyleven, with 4,970.0 to Sandy Koufax's 2,324.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bert Blyleven, with 60 to Sandy Koufax's 40.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bert Blyleven, with 74,910 career Pitcher PIV to Sandy Koufax's 63,020.
Bert Blyleven
Sandy Koufax
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 1970s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bert Blyleven | Sandy Koufax |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 287 | 165 |
| Losses not scored | 250 | 87 |
| Games | Leads: 692 | 397 |
| Games Started | Leads: 685 | 314 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 242 | 137 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 60 | 40 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 9 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,701 | 2,396 |
| Walks not scored | 1,322 | 817 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,632 | 1,754 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 430 | 204 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,970.0 | 2,324.1 |
| ERA | 3.31 | Leads: 2.76 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.11 |
| K/9 | 6.70 | Leads: 9.28 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.39 | 3.16 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bert Blyleven leads Sandy Koufax 74,910 to 63,020 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Bert Blyleven played 24 seasons to Sandy Koufax's 12, while Sandy Koufax carries the higher per-season figure (5,252 to 3,121). 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)
Sandy Koufax — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bert Blyleven leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Sandy Koufax owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. 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 Sandy Koufax careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Sandy Koufax's ended in 1966, and Bert Blyleven debuted in 1970. Bert Blyleven has the far longer record, 692 games against 397 across 24 and 12 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Sandy Koufax's edges on the table are saves (9 to 0), ERA (2.76 to 3.31), and WHIP (1.11 to 1.20). The per-nine rows read 6.70 strikeouts and 2.39 walks for Bert Blyleven, 9.28 and 3.16 for Sandy Koufax. Both had the same role: Bert Blyleven was mainly a starter (685 starts in 692 games); Sandy Koufax was mainly a starter (314 starts in 397 games). Sandy Koufax allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.11 WHIP to Bert Blyleven's 1.20.
Bert Blyleven vs Sandy Koufax: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bert Blyleven or Sandy Koufax?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bert Blyleven leads Sandy Koufax in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Sandy Koufax, with 2.76 to Bert Blyleven's 3.31.
- Who won more games?
- Bert Blyleven, with 287 to Sandy Koufax's 165.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bert Blyleven, with 3,701 to Sandy Koufax's 2,396.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Sandy Koufax, with 1.11 to Bert Blyleven's 1.20.