Gene Garber vs Tug McGraw: Career Stats Comparison
Gene Garber (1969–1988) and Tug McGraw (1965–1984) — both came up during the 1960s, so the matchup is a direct one. Gene Garber compiled 96 wins and 940 strikeouts; Tug McGraw put up 96 wins and 1,109 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Gene Garber
Tug McGraw
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Gene Garber | Tug McGraw |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 96 | 96 |
| Losses | 113 | 92 |
| Games | 931 | 824 |
| Games Started | 9 | 39 |
| Complete Games | 4 | 5 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 1 |
| Saves | 218 | 180 |
| Strikeouts | 940 | 1,109 |
| Walks | 445 | 582 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,464 | 1,318 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 123 | 108 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,510 | 1,514 |
| ERA | 3.34 | 3.14 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | 1.25 |
| K/9 | 5.60 | 6.59 |
| BB/9 | 2.65 | 3.46 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tug McGraw edges Gene Garber 16,151 to 15,978 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (850 vs 726 per year). 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).
Gene Garber — top 1 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Tug McGraw — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tug McGraw leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Gene Garber owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tug McGraw. PIV agrees: Tug McGraw grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.