Tom Glavine vs Fernando Valenzuela: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Glavine 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). Tom Glavine played 1987–2008 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
Tom Glavine (1987–2008) and Fernando Valenzuela (1980–1997) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Tom Glavine finished with 305 wins and 2,607 strikeouts; 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? Neither — both are at 3.54.
- Who won more games? Tom Glavine, with 305 to Fernando Valenzuela's 173.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Glavine, with 2,607 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tom Glavine, with 1.31 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Tom Glavine, with 4,413.1 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,930.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Fernando Valenzuela, with 31 to Tom Glavine's 25.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tom Glavine, with 40,421 career Pitcher PIV to Fernando Valenzuela's 30,102.
Tom Glavine
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Tom Glavine | Fernando Valenzuela |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 305 | 173 |
| Losses not scored | 203 | 153 |
| Games | Leads: 682 | 453 |
| Games Started | Leads: 682 | 424 |
| Complete Games | 56 | Leads: 113 |
| Shutouts | 25 | Leads: 31 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 2 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,607 | 2,074 |
| Walks not scored | 1,500 | 1,151 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,298 | 2,718 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 356 | 226 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,413.1 | 2,930.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.54 | 3.54 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.31 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | 5.32 | Leads: 6.37 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.06 | 3.54 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tom Glavine outpaces Fernando Valenzuela 40,421 to 30,102 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,837 PIV per season to 1,672, across 22 seasons to 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).
Tom Glavine — 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, Tom Glavine leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Fernando Valenzuela owns K/9. 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 Fernando Valenzuela careers compare
Tom Glavine and Fernando Valenzuela were active at the same time between 1987 and 1997. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Tom Glavine appeared in 682 games to Fernando Valenzuela's 453. Fernando Valenzuela's edges on the table are complete games (113 to 56), shutouts (31 to 25), and saves (2 to 0). By rate, Tom Glavine struck out 5.32 and walked 3.06 per nine innings; Fernando Valenzuela struck out 6.37 and walked 3.54. Tom Glavine was mainly a starter (682 starts in 682 games), and Fernando Valenzuela was mainly a starter (424 starts in 453 games). In WHIP, Tom Glavine's 1.31 beats Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.
Tom Glavine vs Fernando Valenzuela: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tom Glavine or Fernando Valenzuela?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tom Glavine leads Fernando Valenzuela in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Neither — both are at 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Glavine, with 305 to Fernando Valenzuela's 173.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Glavine, with 2,607 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tom Glavine, with 1.31 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.