Jacob deGrom vs Ted Lyons: Career Stats Comparison

Ted Lyons 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; Ted Lyons played 1923–1946 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 Ted Lyons (1923–1946) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1920s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jacob deGrom has 107 wins and 2,052 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Ted Lyons finished with 260 wins and 1,073 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Quick answer

  • Who had the better ERA? Jacob deGrom, with 2.73 to Ted Lyons's 3.67.
  • Who won more games? Ted Lyons, with 260 to Jacob deGrom's 107.
  • Who recorded more strikeouts? Jacob deGrom, with 2,052 to Ted Lyons's 1,073.
  • Who had the better WHIP? Jacob deGrom, with 1.00 to Ted Lyons's 1.35.
  • Who pitched more innings? Ted Lyons, with 4,161.0 to Jacob deGrom's 1,702.1.
  • Who threw more shutouts? Ted Lyons, with 27 to Jacob deGrom's 2.
  • Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jacob deGrom, with 58,656 career Pitcher PIV to Ted Lyons's 8,642.
Leads Ted Lyons 7 of 12 scored categories
Pitcher PIV edge Jacob deGrom +50,014
Read the verdict ↓

Jacob deGrom

Pitcher · 2014–present
Wins
107
Losses
76
Strikeouts
2,052
ERA
2.73
WHIP
1.00
IP
1,702.1
View Jacob deGrom's full profile →

Ted Lyons

Pitcher · 1923–1946
Wins
260
Losses
230
Strikeouts
1,073
ERA
3.67
WHIP
1.35
IP
4,161.0
View Ted Lyons's full profile →

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 2010s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.

Jacob deGrom is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.

Jacob deGrom vs Ted Lyons: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Jacob deGrom Ted Lyons
Wins 107 Leads: 260
Losses not scored 76 230
Games 279 Leads: 594
Games Started 279 Leads: 484
Complete Games 4 Leads: 356
Shutouts 2 Leads: 27
Saves 0 Leads: 23
Strikeouts Leads: 2,052 1,073
Walks not scored 391 1,121
Hits Allowed not scored 1,312 4,489
Home Runs Allowed not scored 166 223
Innings Pitched 1,702.1 Leads: 4,161.0
ERA Leads: 2.73 3.67
WHIP Leads: 1.00 1.35
K/9 Leads: 10.85 2.32
BB/9 Leads: 2.07 2.42

PIV Comparison through 2025

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jacob deGrom outpaces Ted Lyons 58,656 to 8,642 — driven by per-season impact — 4,888 PIV per season to 412 — rather than by longevity, since Jacob deGrom played 12 seasons to Ted Lyons's 21. 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.

Jacob deGrom
58,656
Career Pitcher PIV · 4,888 per season (12 seasons)
Ted Lyons
8,642
Career Pitcher PIV · 412 per season (21 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

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)

20181.70 ERA10-9, 269 K in 217 IP
20192.43 ERA11-8, 255 K in 204 IP
20152.54 ERA14-8, 205 K in 191 IP

Ted Lyons — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19422.10 ERA14-6, 50 K in 180 IP
19392.76 ERA14-6, 65 K in 172 IP
19272.84 ERA22-14, 71 K in 307 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Jacob deGrom leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Ted Lyons owns wins and innings pitched. 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 Ted Lyons careers compare

Ted Lyons (1923–1946) was finished before Jacob deGrom (2014–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. Ted Lyons has the far longer record, 594 games against 279 across 12 and 21 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The per-nine rows read 10.85 strikeouts and 2.07 walks for Jacob deGrom, 2.32 and 2.42 for Ted Lyons. Both had the same role: Jacob deGrom was mainly a starter (279 starts in 279 games); Ted Lyons was mainly a starter (484 starts in 594 games). The complete-game row, 4 against 356, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. Jacob deGrom allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.00 WHIP to Ted Lyons's 1.35. Because Jacob deGrom is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.

Jacob deGrom vs Ted Lyons: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Jacob deGrom or Ted Lyons?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Ted Lyons leads Jacob deGrom in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
Who had the better ERA?
Jacob deGrom, with 2.73 to Ted Lyons's 3.67.
Who won more games?
Ted Lyons, with 260 to Jacob deGrom's 107.
Who recorded more strikeouts?
Jacob deGrom, with 2,052 to Ted Lyons's 1,073.
Who had the better WHIP?
Jacob deGrom, with 1.00 to Ted Lyons's 1.35.

See These Players in Another Era