Bert Blyleven vs Sam McDowell: Career Stats Comparison
Bert Blyleven has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Sam McDowell played 1961–1975 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 Sam McDowell (1961–1975) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bert Blyleven finished with 287 wins and 3,701 strikeouts; Sam McDowell finished with 141 wins and 2,453 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Sam McDowell, with 3.17 to Bert Blyleven's 3.31.
- Who won more games? Bert Blyleven, with 287 to Sam McDowell's 141.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bert Blyleven, with 3,701 to Sam McDowell's 2,453.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bert Blyleven, with 1.20 to Sam McDowell's 1.31.
- Who pitched more innings? Bert Blyleven, with 4,970.0 to Sam McDowell's 2,492.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bert Blyleven, with 60 to Sam McDowell's 23.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bert Blyleven, with 74,910 career Pitcher PIV to Sam McDowell's 29,989.
Bert Blyleven
Sam McDowell
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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bert Blyleven | Sam McDowell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 287 | 141 |
| Losses not scored | 250 | 134 |
| Games | Leads: 692 | 425 |
| Games Started | Leads: 685 | 346 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 242 | 103 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 60 | 23 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 14 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,701 | 2,453 |
| Walks not scored | 1,322 | 1,312 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,632 | 1,948 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 430 | 164 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,970.0 | 2,492.1 |
| ERA | 3.31 | Leads: 3.17 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.20 | 1.31 |
| K/9 | 6.70 | Leads: 8.86 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.39 | 4.74 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bert Blyleven outpaces Sam McDowell 74,910 to 29,989 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,121 PIV per season to 1,874, across 24 seasons to 16. 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)
Sam McDowell — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bert Blyleven leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Sam McDowell owns ERA 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 Sam McDowell careers compare
The careers of Bert Blyleven (1970–1992) and Sam McDowell (1961–1975) overlapped from 1970 to 1975, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Bert Blyleven has the far longer record, 692 games against 425 across 24 and 16 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Sam McDowell are saves (14 to 0), ERA (3.17 to 3.31), and strikeouts per nine (8.86 to 6.70). The per-nine rows read 6.70 strikeouts and 2.39 walks for Bert Blyleven, 8.86 and 4.74 for Sam McDowell. Both had the same role: Bert Blyleven was mainly a starter (685 starts in 692 games); Sam McDowell was mainly a starter (346 starts in 425 games).
Bert Blyleven vs Sam McDowell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bert Blyleven or Sam McDowell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bert Blyleven leads Sam McDowell in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Sam McDowell, with 3.17 to Bert Blyleven's 3.31.
- Who won more games?
- Bert Blyleven, with 287 to Sam McDowell's 141.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bert Blyleven, with 3,701 to Sam McDowell's 2,453.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bert Blyleven, with 1.20 to Sam McDowell's 1.31.