Dizzy Dean 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). Dizzy Dean played 1930–1947 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
Dizzy Dean (1930–1947) and Fergie Jenkins (1965–1983) — breaking in during the 1930s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Dizzy Dean finished with 150 wins and 1,163 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? Dizzy Dean, with 3.02 to Fergie Jenkins's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Fergie Jenkins, with 284 to Dizzy Dean's 150.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Fergie Jenkins, with 3,192 to Dizzy Dean's 1,163.
- Who had the better WHIP? Fergie Jenkins, with 1.14 to Dizzy Dean's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? Fergie Jenkins, with 4,500.2 to Dizzy Dean's 1,967.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Fergie Jenkins, with 49 to Dizzy Dean's 26.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Dizzy Dean, with 47,994 career Pitcher PIV to Fergie Jenkins's 40,614.
Dizzy Dean
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 1930s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dizzy Dean | Fergie Jenkins |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 150 | Leads: 284 |
| Losses not scored | 83 | 226 |
| Games | 317 | Leads: 664 |
| Games Started | 230 | Leads: 594 |
| Complete Games | 154 | Leads: 267 |
| Shutouts | 26 | Leads: 49 |
| Saves | Leads: 30 | 7 |
| Strikeouts | 1,163 | Leads: 3,192 |
| Walks not scored | 453 | 997 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,919 | 4,142 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 95 | 484 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,967.1 | Leads: 4,500.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.02 | 3.34 |
| WHIP | 1.21 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.32 | Leads: 6.38 |
| BB/9 | 2.07 | Leads: 1.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dizzy Dean leads Fergie Jenkins 47,994 to 40,614 — driven by per-season impact — 4,000 PIV per season to 2,031 — rather than by longevity, since Dizzy Dean played 12 seasons to Fergie Jenkins's 20. 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).
Dizzy Dean — 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 Dizzy Dean owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Fergie Jenkins. Note that PIV actually grades Dizzy Dean ahead, which means Fergie Jenkins's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Dizzy Dean and Fergie Jenkins careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Dizzy Dean's ended in 1947, and Fergie Jenkins debuted in 1965. Fergie Jenkins has the far longer record, 664 games against 317 across 12 and 20 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Dizzy Dean's edges on the table are saves (30 to 7) and ERA (3.02 to 3.34). The per-nine rows read 5.32 strikeouts and 2.07 walks for Dizzy Dean, 6.38 and 1.99 for Fergie Jenkins. Dizzy Dean was mainly a starter (230 starts in 317 games), and Fergie Jenkins was mainly a starter (594 starts in 664 games). In WHIP, Fergie Jenkins's 1.14 beats Dizzy Dean's 1.21.
Dizzy Dean vs Fergie Jenkins: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dizzy Dean or Fergie Jenkins?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fergie Jenkins leads Dizzy Dean in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Dizzy Dean, with 3.02 to Fergie Jenkins's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 284 to Dizzy Dean's 150.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 3,192 to Dizzy Dean's 1,163.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 1.14 to Dizzy Dean's 1.21.