Whitey Ford vs Juan Marichal: Career Stats Comparison
Juan Marichal has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Whitey Ford played 1950–1967 as a pitcher; Juan Marichal played 1960–1975 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
Whitey Ford (1950–1967) and Juan Marichal (1960–1975) — they debuted in the 1950s and the 1960s respectively and share 8 seasons. Whitey Ford finished with 236 wins and 1,956 strikeouts; Juan Marichal finished with 243 wins and 2,303 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Juan Marichal, in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Whitey Ford, with 2.75 to Juan Marichal's 2.89.
- Who won more games? Juan Marichal, with 243 to Whitey Ford's 236.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Juan Marichal, with 2,303 to Whitey Ford's 1,956.
- Who had the better WHIP? Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Whitey Ford's 1.22.
- How many innings did each pitch? Whitey Ford 3,170.1, Juan Marichal 3,507.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Juan Marichal, with 52 to Whitey Ford's 45.
Whitey Ford
Juan Marichal
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | Whitey Ford | Juan Marichal |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 236 | Leads: 243 |
| Losses not scored | 106 | 142 |
| Games not scored | 498 | 471 |
| Games Started not scored | 438 | 457 |
| Complete Games | 156 | Leads: 244 |
| Shutouts | 45 | Leads: 52 |
| Saves not scored | 10 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | 1,956 | Leads: 2,303 |
| Walks not scored | 1,086 | 709 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,766 | 3,153 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 228 | 320 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,170.1 | 3,507.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.75 | 2.89 |
| WHIP | 1.22 | Leads: 1.10 |
| K/9 | 5.55 | Leads: 5.91 |
| BB/9 | 3.08 | Leads: 1.82 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Juan Marichal edges Whitey Ford 48,870 to 47,870 — driven by per-season impact — 3,054 PIV per season to 2,992 — rather than by longevity, since Juan Marichal played 16 seasons to Whitey Ford's 16. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Whitey Ford — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Juan Marichal — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Juan Marichal leads 7 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Whitey Ford leads 1: ERA. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Juan Marichal. PIV agrees: Juan Marichal grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Whitey Ford and Juan Marichal careers compare
Whitey Ford and Juan Marichal were active at the same time between 1960 and 1967. The two careers are close in length, 498 games for Whitey Ford and 471 for Juan Marichal across 16 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Whitey Ford's edges on the table are ERA (2.75 to 2.89). The per-nine rows read 5.55 strikeouts and 3.08 walks for Whitey Ford, 5.91 and 1.82 for Juan Marichal. Whitey Ford was mainly a starter (438 starts in 498 games), and Juan Marichal was mainly a starter (457 starts in 471 games). Juan Marichal allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.10 WHIP to Whitey Ford's 1.22.
Whitey Ford vs Juan Marichal: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Whitey Ford or Juan Marichal?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Juan Marichal leads Whitey Ford in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Whitey Ford, with 2.75 to Juan Marichal's 2.89.
- Who won more games?
- Juan Marichal, with 243 to Whitey Ford's 236.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Juan Marichal, with 2,303 to Whitey Ford's 1,956.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Whitey Ford's 1.22.