Lefty Grove vs Dutch Leonard: Career Stats Comparison
Lefty Grove (1925–1941) and Dutch Leonard (1933–1953) — breaking in during the 1920s and the 1930s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Lefty Grove compiled 300 wins and 2,266 strikeouts; Dutch Leonard put up 191 wins and 1,170 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Lefty Grove
Dutch Leonard
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Lefty Grove | Dutch Leonard |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 300 | 191 |
| Losses | 141 | 181 |
| Games | 616 | 640 |
| Games Started | 457 | 374 |
| Complete Games | 298 | 192 |
| Shutouts | 35 | 30 |
| Saves | 55 | 44 |
| Strikeouts | 2,266 | 1,170 |
| Walks | 1,187 | 737 |
| Hits Allowed | 3,849 | 3,304 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 162 | 158 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,940 | 3,218 |
| ERA | 3.06 | 3.25 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | 5.18 | 3.27 |
| BB/9 | 2.71 | 2.06 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lefty Grove outpaces Dutch Leonard 81,321 to 44,834 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,784 vs 2,242 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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)
Dutch Leonard — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lefty Grove leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while Dutch Leonard owns WHIP. 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.