Bert Blyleven vs Juan Marichal: Career Stats Comparison
Bert Blyleven and Juan Marichal are close to even, splitting the 8 scored categories on this page 4–4 (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Bert Blyleven played 1970–1992 as a pitcher; Juan Marichal played 1960–1975 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 Juan Marichal (1960–1975) — they debuted in the 1970s and the 1960s respectively and share 6 seasons. Bert Blyleven finished with 287 wins and 3,701 strikeouts; Juan Marichal finished with 243 wins and 2,303 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Neither — they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA? Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Bert Blyleven's 3.31.
- Who won more games? Bert Blyleven, with 287 to Juan Marichal's 243.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bert Blyleven, with 3,701 to Juan Marichal's 2,303.
- Who had the better WHIP? Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Bert Blyleven's 1.20.
- How many innings did each pitch? Bert Blyleven 4,970.0, Juan Marichal 3,507.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bert Blyleven, with 60 to Juan Marichal's 52.
Bert Blyleven
Juan Marichal
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 | Juan Marichal |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 287 | 243 |
| Losses not scored | 250 | 142 |
| Games not scored | 692 | 471 |
| Games Started not scored | 685 | 457 |
| Complete Games | 242 | Leads: 244 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 60 | 52 |
| Saves not scored | 0 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,701 | 2,303 |
| Walks not scored | 1,322 | 709 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,632 | 3,153 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 430 | 320 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 4,970.0 | 3,507.1 |
| ERA | 3.31 | Leads: 2.89 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.10 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.70 | 5.91 |
| BB/9 | 2.39 | Leads: 1.82 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bert Blyleven outpaces Juan Marichal 74,910 to 48,870 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,405 PIV per season to 3,054, across 22 seasons to 16. 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)
Juan Marichal — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Bert Blyleven and Juan Marichal split the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card 4-4. On the raw scoreboard neither has the edge. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Bert Blyleven higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bert Blyleven and Juan Marichal careers compare
The careers of Bert Blyleven (1970–1992) and Juan Marichal (1960–1975) overlapped from 1970 to 1975, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 692 games against 471 across 22 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Juan Marichal are complete games (244 to 242), ERA (2.89 to 3.31), and WHIP (1.10 to 1.20). The per-nine rows read 6.70 strikeouts and 2.39 walks for Bert Blyleven, 5.91 and 1.82 for Juan Marichal. Bert Blyleven was mainly a starter (685 starts in 692 games), and Juan Marichal was mainly a starter (457 starts in 471 games).
Bert Blyleven vs Juan Marichal: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bert Blyleven or Juan Marichal?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, neither leads: they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Bert Blyleven's 3.31.
- Who won more games?
- Bert Blyleven, with 287 to Juan Marichal's 243.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bert Blyleven, with 3,701 to Juan Marichal's 2,303.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Bert Blyleven's 1.20.