Lefty Gomez vs Fergie Jenkins: Career Stats Comparison
Fergie Jenkins has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Lefty Gomez played 1930–1943 as a pitcher; Fergie Jenkins played 1965–1983 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
Lefty Gomez (1930–1943) and Fergie Jenkins (1965–1983) — breaking in during the 1930s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Lefty Gomez finished with 189 wins and 1,468 strikeouts; Fergie Jenkins finished with 284 wins and 3,192 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Neither — both are at 3.34.
- Who won more games? Fergie Jenkins, with 284 to Lefty Gomez's 189.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Fergie Jenkins, with 3,192 to Lefty Gomez's 1,468.
- Who had the better WHIP? Fergie Jenkins, with 1.14 to Lefty Gomez's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Fergie Jenkins, with 4,500.2 to Lefty Gomez's 2,503.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Fergie Jenkins, with 49 to Lefty Gomez's 28.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Fergie Jenkins, with 40,614 career Pitcher PIV to Lefty Gomez's 15,583.
Lefty Gomez
Fergie Jenkins
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 1930s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lefty Gomez | Fergie Jenkins |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 189 | Leads: 284 |
| Losses not scored | 102 | 226 |
| Games | 368 | Leads: 664 |
| Games Started | 320 | Leads: 594 |
| Complete Games | 173 | Leads: 267 |
| Shutouts | 28 | Leads: 49 |
| Saves | Leads: 9 | 7 |
| Strikeouts | 1,468 | Leads: 3,192 |
| Walks not scored | 1,095 | 997 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,290 | 4,142 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 138 | 484 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,503.0 | Leads: 4,500.2 |
| ERA | 3.34 | Leads: 3.34 |
| WHIP | 1.35 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.28 | Leads: 6.38 |
| BB/9 | 3.94 | Leads: 1.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Fergie Jenkins outpaces Lefty Gomez 40,614 to 15,583 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,031 PIV per season to 1,113, across 20 seasons to 14. 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).
Lefty Gomez — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Fergie Jenkins — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Fergie Jenkins leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Lefty Gomez owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Fergie Jenkins. PIV agrees: Fergie Jenkins grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lefty Gomez and Fergie Jenkins careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Lefty Gomez's ended in 1943, and Fergie Jenkins debuted in 1965. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Lefty Gomez appeared in 368 games to Fergie Jenkins's 664. The green cells for Lefty Gomez are saves (9 to 7). By rate, Lefty Gomez struck out 5.28 and walked 3.94 per nine innings; Fergie Jenkins struck out 6.38 and walked 1.99. Lefty Gomez was mainly a starter (320 starts in 368 games), and Fergie Jenkins was mainly a starter (594 starts in 664 games). Fergie Jenkins allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.14 WHIP to Lefty Gomez's 1.35.
Lefty Gomez vs Fergie Jenkins: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lefty Gomez or Fergie Jenkins?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fergie Jenkins leads Lefty Gomez in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Neither — both are at 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 284 to Lefty Gomez's 189.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 3,192 to Lefty Gomez's 1,468.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 1.14 to Lefty Gomez's 1.35.