Mike Cuellar vs Fergie Jenkins: Career Stats Comparison
Fergie Jenkins has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Mike Cuellar played 1959–1977 as a pitcher; Fergie Jenkins played 1965–1983 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
Mike Cuellar (1959–1977) and Fergie Jenkins (1965–1983) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Mike Cuellar finished with 185 wins and 1,632 strikeouts; Fergie Jenkins finished with 284 wins and 3,192 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Mike Cuellar, with 3.14 to Fergie Jenkins's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Fergie Jenkins, with 284 to Mike Cuellar's 185.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Fergie Jenkins, with 3,192 to Mike Cuellar's 1,632.
- Who had the better WHIP? Fergie Jenkins, with 1.14 to Mike Cuellar's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Fergie Jenkins, with 4,500.2 to Mike Cuellar's 2,808.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Fergie Jenkins, with 49 to Mike Cuellar's 36.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Fergie Jenkins, with 40,614 career Pitcher PIV to Mike Cuellar's 19,691.
Mike Cuellar
Fergie Jenkins
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 1950s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mike Cuellar | Fergie Jenkins |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 185 | Leads: 284 |
| Losses not scored | 130 | 226 |
| Games | 453 | Leads: 664 |
| Games Started | 379 | Leads: 594 |
| Complete Games | 172 | Leads: 267 |
| Shutouts | 36 | Leads: 49 |
| Saves | Leads: 11 | 7 |
| Strikeouts | 1,632 | Leads: 3,192 |
| Walks not scored | 822 | 997 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,538 | 4,142 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 222 | 484 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,808.0 | Leads: 4,500.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.14 | 3.34 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.23 | Leads: 6.38 |
| BB/9 | 2.63 | Leads: 1.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Fergie Jenkins outpaces Mike Cuellar 40,614 to 19,691 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,031 PIV per season to 1,313, across 20 seasons to 15. 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).
Mike Cuellar — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Fergie Jenkins — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Fergie Jenkins leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Mike Cuellar owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Fergie Jenkins. PIV agrees: Fergie Jenkins grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Mike Cuellar and Fergie Jenkins careers compare
The careers of Mike Cuellar (1959–1977) and Fergie Jenkins (1965–1983) overlapped from 1965 to 1977, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 453 games for Mike Cuellar and 664 for Fergie Jenkins across 15 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Mike Cuellar's edges on the table are saves (11 to 7) and ERA (3.14 to 3.34). By rate, Mike Cuellar struck out 5.23 and walked 2.63 per nine innings; Fergie Jenkins struck out 6.38 and walked 1.99.
Mike Cuellar vs Fergie Jenkins: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mike Cuellar or Fergie Jenkins?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fergie Jenkins leads Mike Cuellar in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Mike Cuellar, with 3.14 to Fergie Jenkins's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 284 to Mike Cuellar's 185.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 3,192 to Mike Cuellar's 1,632.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 1.14 to Mike Cuellar's 1.20.