Jacob deGrom vs Willie Foster: Career Stats Comparison
Jacob deGrom 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). Jacob deGrom has played 2014–present as a pitcher; Willie Foster played ?–1937 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
Jacob deGrom (2014–present) and Willie Foster (?–1937) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Jacob deGrom has 107 wins and 2,052 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Willie Foster finished with 125 wins and 1,062 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Willie Foster, with 2.66 to Jacob deGrom's 2.73.
- Who won more games? Willie Foster, with 125 to Jacob deGrom's 107.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jacob deGrom, with 2,052 to Willie Foster's 1,062.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jacob deGrom, with 1.00 to Willie Foster's 1.15.
- Who pitched more innings? Jacob deGrom, with 1,702.1 to Willie Foster's 1,665.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Willie Foster, with 34 to Jacob deGrom's 2.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jacob deGrom, with 58,656 career Pitcher PIV to Willie Foster's 41,672.
Jacob deGrom
Willie Foster
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.
Jacob deGrom is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Jacob deGrom | Willie Foster |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 107 | Leads: 125 |
| Losses not scored | 76 | 60 |
| Games | Leads: 279 | 262 |
| Games Started | Leads: 279 | 185 |
| Complete Games | 4 | Leads: 142 |
| Shutouts | 2 | Leads: 34 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 14 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,052 | 1,062 |
| Walks not scored | 391 | 522 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,312 | 1,397 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 166 | 41 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,702.1 | 1,665.0 |
| ERA | 2.73 | Leads: 2.66 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.00 | 1.15 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.85 | 5.74 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.07 | 2.82 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jacob deGrom outpaces Willie Foster 58,656 to 41,672 — driven by per-season impact — 4,888 PIV per season to 2,193 — rather than by longevity, since Jacob deGrom played 12 seasons to Willie Foster's 19. 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).
Jacob deGrom — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Willie Foster — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jacob deGrom leads in strikeouts, WHIP, K/9, and innings pitched, while Willie Foster owns wins and ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jacob deGrom. PIV agrees: Jacob deGrom grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jacob deGrom and Willie Foster careers compare
No season is shared: Willie Foster played ?–1937, Jacob deGrom 2014–present. With 279 games against 262 across 12 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The per-nine rows read 10.85 strikeouts and 2.07 walks for Jacob deGrom, 5.74 and 2.82 for Willie Foster. Both had the same role: Jacob deGrom was mainly a starter (279 starts in 279 games); Willie Foster was mainly a starter (185 starts in 262 games). Complete games (4 to 142) show how differently the two eras used starters. In WHIP, Jacob deGrom's 1.00 beats Willie Foster's 1.15. Because Jacob deGrom is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Jacob deGrom vs Willie Foster: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jacob deGrom or Willie Foster?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jacob deGrom leads Willie Foster in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Willie Foster, with 2.66 to Jacob deGrom's 2.73.
- Who won more games?
- Willie Foster, with 125 to Jacob deGrom's 107.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jacob deGrom, with 2,052 to Willie Foster's 1,062.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jacob deGrom, with 1.00 to Willie Foster's 1.15.