Dean Chance vs Tommy John: Career Stats Comparison
Dean Chance (1961–1971) and Tommy John (1963–1989) — both came up during the 1960s, so the matchup is a direct one. Dean Chance compiled 128 wins and 1,534 strikeouts; Tommy John put up 288 wins and 2,245 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Dean Chance
Tommy John
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Dean Chance | Tommy John |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 128 | 288 |
| Losses | 115 | 231 |
| Games | 406 | 760 |
| Games Started | 294 | 700 |
| Complete Games | 83 | 162 |
| Shutouts | 33 | 46 |
| Saves | 23 | 4 |
| Strikeouts | 1,534 | 2,245 |
| Walks | 739 | 1,259 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,864 | 4,783 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 122 | 302 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,147 | 4,710 |
| ERA | 2.92 | 3.34 |
| WHIP | 1.21 | 1.28 |
| K/9 | 6.43 | 4.29 |
| BB/9 | 3.10 | 2.41 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tommy John leads Dean Chance 39,802 to 30,038 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,422 vs 2,503 per year). 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).
Dean Chance — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Tommy John — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tommy John leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Dean Chance owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tommy John. PIV agrees: Tommy John grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.