Bert Blyleven vs Fernando Valenzuela: Career Stats Comparison
Bert Blyleven has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Fernando Valenzuela played 1980–1997 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 Fernando Valenzuela (1980–1997) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bert Blyleven finished with 287 wins and 3,701 strikeouts; Fernando Valenzuela finished with 173 wins and 2,074 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Bert Blyleven, with 3.31 to Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Bert Blyleven, with 287 to Fernando Valenzuela's 173.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bert Blyleven, with 3,701 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bert Blyleven, with 1.20 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Bert Blyleven, with 4,970.0 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,930.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bert Blyleven, with 60 to Fernando Valenzuela's 31.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bert Blyleven, with 74,910 career Pitcher PIV to Fernando Valenzuela's 30,102.
Bert Blyleven
Fernando Valenzuela
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 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bert Blyleven | Fernando Valenzuela |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 287 | 173 |
| Losses not scored | 250 | 153 |
| Games | Leads: 692 | 453 |
| Games Started | Leads: 685 | 424 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 242 | 113 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 60 | 31 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 2 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,701 | 2,074 |
| Walks not scored | 1,322 | 1,151 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,632 | 2,718 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 430 | 226 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,970.0 | 2,930.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.31 | 3.54 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.20 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.70 | 6.37 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.39 | 3.54 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bert Blyleven outpaces Fernando Valenzuela 74,910 to 30,102 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,121 PIV per season to 1,672, across 24 seasons to 18. 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)
Fernando Valenzuela — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bert Blyleven leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Fernando Valenzuela owns no headline categories. 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 Fernando Valenzuela careers compare
Bert Blyleven and Fernando Valenzuela were active at the same time between 1980 and 1992. The table compares 692 games of Bert Blyleven with 453 of Fernando Valenzuela across 24 and 18 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Fernando Valenzuela are saves (2 to 0). By rate, Bert Blyleven struck out 6.70 and walked 2.39 per nine innings; Fernando Valenzuela struck out 6.37 and walked 3.54. Both had the same role: Bert Blyleven was mainly a starter (685 starts in 692 games); Fernando Valenzuela was mainly a starter (424 starts in 453 games). In WHIP, Bert Blyleven's 1.20 beats Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.
Bert Blyleven vs Fernando Valenzuela: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bert Blyleven or Fernando Valenzuela?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bert Blyleven leads Fernando Valenzuela in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bert Blyleven, with 3.31 to Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Bert Blyleven, with 287 to Fernando Valenzuela's 173.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bert Blyleven, with 3,701 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bert Blyleven, with 1.20 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.