Mike Cuellar vs Sandy Koufax: Career Stats Comparison
Mike Cuellar has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Sandy Koufax played 1955–1966 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 Sandy Koufax (1955–1966) — both came up during the 1950s, so the matchup is a direct one. Mike Cuellar finished with 185 wins and 1,632 strikeouts; Sandy Koufax finished with 165 wins and 2,396 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Sandy Koufax, with 2.76 to Mike Cuellar's 3.14.
- Who won more games? Mike Cuellar, with 185 to Sandy Koufax's 165.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Sandy Koufax, with 2,396 to Mike Cuellar's 1,632.
- Who had the better WHIP? Sandy Koufax, with 1.11 to Mike Cuellar's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Mike Cuellar, with 2,808.0 to Sandy Koufax's 2,324.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Sandy Koufax, with 40 to Mike Cuellar's 36.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Sandy Koufax, with 63,020 career Pitcher PIV to Mike Cuellar's 19,691.
Mike Cuellar
Sandy Koufax
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Mike Cuellar | Sandy Koufax |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 185 | 165 |
| Losses not scored | 130 | 87 |
| Games | Leads: 453 | 397 |
| Games Started | Leads: 379 | 314 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 172 | 137 |
| Shutouts | 36 | Leads: 40 |
| Saves | Leads: 11 | 9 |
| Strikeouts | 1,632 | Leads: 2,396 |
| Walks not scored | 822 | 817 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,538 | 1,754 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 222 | 204 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,808.0 | 2,324.1 |
| ERA | 3.14 | Leads: 2.76 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.11 |
| K/9 | 5.23 | Leads: 9.28 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.63 | 3.16 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Sandy Koufax outpaces Mike Cuellar 63,020 to 19,691 — driven by per-season impact — 5,252 PIV per season to 1,313 — rather than by longevity, since Sandy Koufax played 12 seasons to Mike Cuellar's 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)
Sandy Koufax — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Sandy Koufax leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Mike Cuellar owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Sandy Koufax. PIV agrees: Sandy Koufax 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 Sandy Koufax careers compare
The careers of Mike Cuellar (1959–1977) and Sandy Koufax (1955–1966) overlapped from 1959 to 1966, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 453 games for Mike Cuellar and 397 for Sandy Koufax across 15 and 12 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 5.23 strikeouts and 2.63 walks for Mike Cuellar, 9.28 and 3.16 for Sandy Koufax. Mike Cuellar was mainly a starter (379 starts in 453 games), and Sandy Koufax was mainly a starter (314 starts in 397 games). In WHIP, Sandy Koufax's 1.11 beats Mike Cuellar's 1.20.
Mike Cuellar vs Sandy Koufax: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mike Cuellar or Sandy Koufax?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mike Cuellar leads Sandy Koufax in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Sandy Koufax, with 2.76 to Mike Cuellar's 3.14.
- Who won more games?
- Mike Cuellar, with 185 to Sandy Koufax's 165.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Sandy Koufax, with 2,396 to Mike Cuellar's 1,632.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Sandy Koufax, with 1.11 to Mike Cuellar's 1.20.