Tom Glavine vs Tommy John: Career Stats Comparison
Tommy John has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Tom Glavine played 1987–2008 as a pitcher; Tommy John played 1963–1989 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
Tom Glavine (1987–2008) and Tommy John (1963–1989) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Tom Glavine finished with 305 wins and 2,607 strikeouts; Tommy John finished with 288 wins and 2,245 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Tommy John, with 3.34 to Tom Glavine's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Tom Glavine, with 305 to Tommy John's 288.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Glavine, with 2,607 to Tommy John's 2,245.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tommy John, with 1.28 to Tom Glavine's 1.31.
- Who pitched more innings? Tommy John, with 4,710.1 to Tom Glavine's 4,413.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tommy John, with 46 to Tom Glavine's 25.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tom Glavine, with 40,421 career Pitcher PIV to Tommy John's 39,802.
Tom Glavine
Tommy John
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 1980s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Tom Glavine | Tommy John |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 305 | 288 |
| Losses not scored | 203 | 231 |
| Games | 682 | Leads: 760 |
| Games Started | 682 | Leads: 700 |
| Complete Games | 56 | Leads: 162 |
| Shutouts | 25 | Leads: 46 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 4 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,607 | 2,245 |
| Walks not scored | 1,500 | 1,259 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,298 | 4,783 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 356 | 302 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,413.1 | Leads: 4,710.1 |
| ERA | 3.54 | Leads: 3.34 |
| WHIP | 1.31 | Leads: 1.28 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.32 | 4.29 |
| BB/9 | 3.06 | Leads: 2.41 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tom Glavine edges Tommy John 40,421 to 39,802 — driven by per-season impact — 1,837 PIV per season to 1,422 — rather than by longevity, since Tom Glavine played 22 seasons to Tommy John's 28. 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).
Tom Glavine — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Tommy John — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tom Glavine leads in wins, strikeouts, and K/9, while Tommy John owns ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tom Glavine. PIV agrees: Tom Glavine grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tom Glavine and Tommy John careers compare
From 1987 through 1989, Tom Glavine and Tommy John were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 682 games for Tom Glavine and 760 for Tommy John across 22 and 28 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Tom Glavine's edges on the table are wins (305 to 288), strikeouts (2,607 to 2,245), and strikeouts per nine (5.32 to 4.29). The per-nine rows read 5.32 strikeouts and 3.06 walks for Tom Glavine, 4.29 and 2.41 for Tommy John. Both had the same role: Tom Glavine was mainly a starter (682 starts in 682 games); Tommy John was mainly a starter (700 starts in 760 games).
Tom Glavine vs Tommy John: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tom Glavine or Tommy John?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tommy John leads Tom Glavine in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Tommy John, with 3.34 to Tom Glavine's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Glavine, with 305 to Tommy John's 288.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Glavine, with 2,607 to Tommy John's 2,245.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tommy John, with 1.28 to Tom Glavine's 1.31.