Jacob deGrom vs Fernando Valenzuela: Career Stats Comparison
Fernando Valenzuela has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Fernando Valenzuela played 1980–1997 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 Fernando Valenzuela (1980–1997) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jacob deGrom has 107 wins and 2,052 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Fernando Valenzuela finished with 173 wins and 2,074 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 Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Fernando Valenzuela, with 173 to Jacob deGrom's 107.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Fernando Valenzuela, with 2,074 to Jacob deGrom's 2,052.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jacob deGrom, with 1.00 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Fernando Valenzuela, with 2,930.0 to Jacob deGrom's 1,702.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Fernando Valenzuela, with 31 to Jacob deGrom's 2.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jacob deGrom, with 58,656 career Pitcher PIV to Fernando Valenzuela's 30,102.
Jacob deGrom
Fernando Valenzuela
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 1980s 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.
| Statistic | Jacob deGrom | Fernando Valenzuela |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 107 | Leads: 173 |
| Losses not scored | 76 | 153 |
| Games | 279 | Leads: 453 |
| Games Started | 279 | Leads: 424 |
| Complete Games | 4 | Leads: 113 |
| Shutouts | 2 | Leads: 31 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 2 |
| Strikeouts | 2,052 | Leads: 2,074 |
| Walks not scored | 391 | 1,151 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,312 | 2,718 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 166 | 226 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,702.1 | Leads: 2,930.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.73 | 3.54 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.00 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.85 | 6.37 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.07 | 3.54 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jacob deGrom outpaces Fernando Valenzuela 58,656 to 30,102 — driven by per-season impact — 4,888 PIV per season to 1,672 — rather than by longevity, since Jacob deGrom played 12 seasons to Fernando Valenzuela's 18. 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)
Fernando Valenzuela — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jacob deGrom leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Fernando Valenzuela owns wins, strikeouts, 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 Fernando Valenzuela careers compare
No season is shared: Fernando Valenzuela played 1980–1997, Jacob deGrom 2014–present. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Jacob deGrom has appeared in 279 games to Fernando Valenzuela's 453. The green cells for Jacob deGrom are ERA (2.73 to 3.54), WHIP (1.00 to 1.32), and strikeouts per nine (10.85 to 6.37). The per-nine rows read 10.85 strikeouts and 2.07 walks for Jacob deGrom, 6.37 and 3.54 for Fernando Valenzuela. Both had the same role: Jacob deGrom was mainly a starter (279 starts in 279 games); Fernando Valenzuela was mainly a starter (424 starts in 453 games). Jacob deGrom's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Jacob deGrom vs Fernando Valenzuela: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jacob deGrom or Fernando Valenzuela?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fernando Valenzuela leads Jacob deGrom in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jacob deGrom, with 2.73 to Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Fernando Valenzuela, with 173 to Jacob deGrom's 107.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Fernando Valenzuela, with 2,074 to Jacob deGrom's 2,052.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jacob deGrom, with 1.00 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.