Lefty Grove vs Fergie Jenkins: Career Stats Comparison
Fergie Jenkins 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). Lefty Grove played 1925–1941 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 Grove (1925–1941) and Fergie Jenkins (1965–1983) — breaking in during the 1920s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Lefty Grove finished with 300 wins and 2,266 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? Lefty Grove, with 3.06 to Fergie Jenkins's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Lefty Grove, with 300 to Fergie Jenkins's 284.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Fergie Jenkins, with 3,192 to Lefty Grove's 2,266.
- Who had the better WHIP? Fergie Jenkins, with 1.14 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Fergie Jenkins, with 4,500.2 to Lefty Grove's 3,940.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Fergie Jenkins, with 49 to Lefty Grove's 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lefty Grove, with 81,321 career Pitcher PIV to Fergie Jenkins's 40,614.
Lefty Grove
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 1920s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lefty Grove | Fergie Jenkins |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 300 | 284 |
| Losses not scored | 141 | 226 |
| Games | 616 | Leads: 664 |
| Games Started | 457 | Leads: 594 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 298 | 267 |
| Shutouts | 35 | Leads: 49 |
| Saves | Leads: 55 | 7 |
| Strikeouts | 2,266 | Leads: 3,192 |
| Walks not scored | 1,187 | 997 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,849 | 4,142 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 162 | 484 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,940.2 | Leads: 4,500.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.06 | 3.34 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.18 | Leads: 6.38 |
| BB/9 | 2.71 | Leads: 1.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lefty Grove outpaces Fergie Jenkins 81,321 to 40,614 — driven by per-season impact — 4,784 PIV per season to 2,031 — rather than by longevity, since Lefty Grove played 17 seasons to Fergie Jenkins's 20. 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 Grove — 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 strikeouts, WHIP, K/9, and innings pitched, while Lefty Grove owns wins and ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Fergie Jenkins. Note that PIV actually grades Lefty Grove ahead, which means Fergie Jenkins's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lefty Grove and Fergie Jenkins careers compare
Lefty Grove (1925–1941) was finished before Fergie Jenkins (1965–1983) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 616 games for Lefty Grove and 664 for Fergie Jenkins across 17 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Lefty Grove are wins (300 to 284), complete games (298 to 267), and saves (55 to 7). The per-nine rows read 5.18 strikeouts and 2.71 walks for Lefty Grove, 6.38 and 1.99 for Fergie Jenkins. Both had the same role: Lefty Grove was mainly a starter (457 starts in 616 games); Fergie Jenkins was mainly a starter (594 starts in 664 games).
Lefty Grove vs Fergie Jenkins: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lefty Grove or Fergie Jenkins?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fergie Jenkins leads Lefty Grove in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Lefty Grove, with 3.06 to Fergie Jenkins's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Lefty Grove, with 300 to Fergie Jenkins's 284.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 3,192 to Lefty Grove's 2,266.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 1.14 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.