Lefty Grove vs George Kirby: Career Stats Comparison
Lefty Grove 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). Lefty Grove played 1925–1941 as a pitcher; George Kirby has played 2022–present 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 George Kirby (2022–present) — breaking in during the 1920s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Lefty Grove finished with 300 wins and 2,266 strikeouts; George Kirby has 54 wins and 769 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. 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 George Kirby's 3.74.
- Who won more games? Lefty Grove, with 300 to George Kirby's 54.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to George Kirby's 769.
- Who had the better WHIP? George Kirby, with 1.17 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Lefty Grove, with 3,940.2 to George Kirby's 812.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Lefty Grove, with 35 to George Kirby's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lefty Grove, with 81,321 career Pitcher PIV to George Kirby's 14,778.
Lefty Grove
George Kirby
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 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
George Kirby is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Lefty Grove | George Kirby |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 300 | 54 |
| Losses not scored | 141 | 45 |
| Games | Leads: 616 | 142 |
| Games Started | Leads: 457 | 142 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 298 | 2 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 35 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 55 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,266 | 769 |
| Walks not scored | 1,187 | 140 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,849 | 813 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 162 | 94 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,940.2 | 812.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.06 | 3.74 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | Leads: 1.17 |
| K/9 | 5.18 | Leads: 8.52 |
| BB/9 | 2.71 | Leads: 1.55 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lefty Grove outpaces George Kirby 81,321 to 14,778 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,784 PIV per season to 3,695, across 17 seasons to 4. 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)
George Kirby — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lefty Grove leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while George Kirby owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lefty Grove. PIV agrees: Lefty Grove grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lefty Grove and George Kirby careers compare
Lefty Grove (1925–1941) was finished before George Kirby (2022–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Lefty Grove appeared in 616 games to George Kirby's 142. George Kirby's edges on the table are WHIP (1.17 to 1.28), strikeouts per nine (8.52 to 5.18), and walks per nine (1.55 to 2.71). The per-nine rows read 5.18 strikeouts and 2.71 walks for Lefty Grove, 8.52 and 1.55 for George Kirby. Lefty Grove was mainly a starter (457 starts in 616 games), and George Kirby was mainly a starter (142 starts in 142 games). Because George Kirby is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Lefty Grove vs George Kirby: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lefty Grove or George Kirby?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lefty Grove leads George Kirby in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Lefty Grove, with 3.06 to George Kirby's 3.74.
- Who won more games?
- Lefty Grove, with 300 to George Kirby's 54.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to George Kirby's 769.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- George Kirby, with 1.17 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.