Lefty Grove vs Juan Marichal: Career Stats Comparison
Juan Marichal has the better career line of the two, leading 6 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; Juan Marichal played 1960–1975 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 Juan Marichal (1960–1975) — 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; Juan Marichal finished with 243 wins and 2,303 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Lefty Grove's 3.06.
- Who won more games? Lefty Grove, with 300 to Juan Marichal's 243.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Juan Marichal, with 2,303 to Lefty Grove's 2,266.
- Who had the better WHIP? Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Lefty Grove, with 3,940.2 to Juan Marichal's 3,507.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Juan Marichal, with 52 to Lefty Grove's 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lefty Grove, with 81,321 career Pitcher PIV to Juan Marichal's 48,870.
Lefty Grove
Juan Marichal
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 | Juan Marichal |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 300 | 243 |
| Losses not scored | 141 | 142 |
| Games | Leads: 616 | 471 |
| Games Started | 457 | 457 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 298 | 244 |
| Shutouts | 35 | Leads: 52 |
| Saves | Leads: 55 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | 2,266 | Leads: 2,303 |
| Walks not scored | 1,187 | 709 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,849 | 3,153 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 162 | 320 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,940.2 | 3,507.1 |
| ERA | 3.06 | Leads: 2.89 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | Leads: 1.10 |
| K/9 | 5.18 | Leads: 5.91 |
| BB/9 | 2.71 | Leads: 1.82 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lefty Grove outpaces Juan Marichal 81,321 to 48,870 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,784 PIV per season to 3,054, across 17 seasons to 16. 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)
Juan Marichal — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Juan Marichal leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Lefty Grove owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Juan Marichal. Note that PIV actually grades Lefty Grove ahead, which means Juan Marichal's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lefty Grove and Juan Marichal careers compare
No season is shared: Lefty Grove played 1925–1941, Juan Marichal 1960–1975. The two careers are close in length, 616 games for Lefty Grove and 471 for Juan Marichal across 17 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. By rate, Lefty Grove struck out 5.18 and walked 2.71 per nine innings; Juan Marichal struck out 5.91 and walked 1.82. Both had the same role: Lefty Grove was mainly a starter (457 starts in 616 games); Juan Marichal was mainly a starter (457 starts in 471 games). In WHIP, Juan Marichal's 1.10 beats Lefty Grove's 1.28.
Lefty Grove vs Juan Marichal: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lefty Grove or Juan Marichal?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Juan Marichal leads Lefty Grove in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Lefty Grove's 3.06.
- Who won more games?
- Lefty Grove, with 300 to Juan Marichal's 243.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Juan Marichal, with 2,303 to Lefty Grove's 2,266.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.