Lefty Grove vs Herb Pennock: 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; Herb Pennock played 1912–1934 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 Herb Pennock (1912–1934) — breaking in during the 1920s and the 1910s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Lefty Grove finished with 300 wins and 2,266 strikeouts; Herb Pennock finished with 240 wins and 1,227 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 Herb Pennock's 3.60.
- Who won more games? Lefty Grove, with 300 to Herb Pennock's 240.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to Herb Pennock's 1,227.
- Who had the better WHIP? Lefty Grove, with 1.28 to Herb Pennock's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Lefty Grove, with 3,940.2 to Herb Pennock's 3,571.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lefty Grove, with 81,321 career Pitcher PIV to Herb Pennock's 29,181.
Lefty Grove
Herb Pennock
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 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lefty Grove | Herb Pennock |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 300 | 240 |
| Losses not scored | 141 | 162 |
| Games | 616 | Leads: 617 |
| Games Started | Leads: 457 | 420 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 298 | 247 |
| Shutouts | 35 | 35 |
| Saves | Leads: 55 | 32 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,266 | 1,227 |
| Walks not scored | 1,187 | 916 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,849 | 3,900 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 162 | 128 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,940.2 | 3,571.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.06 | 3.60 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.28 | 1.35 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.18 | 3.09 |
| BB/9 | 2.71 | Leads: 2.31 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lefty Grove outpaces Herb Pennock 81,321 to 29,181 — driven by per-season impact — 4,784 PIV per season to 1,269 — rather than by longevity, since Lefty Grove played 17 seasons to Herb Pennock's 23. 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)
Herb Pennock — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lefty Grove leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Herb Pennock owns no headline categories. 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 Herb Pennock careers compare
From 1925 through 1934, Lefty Grove and Herb Pennock were in the majors together. With 616 games against 617 across 17 and 23 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Herb Pennock's edges on the table are games (617 to 616) and walks per nine (2.31 to 2.71). The per-nine rows read 5.18 strikeouts and 2.71 walks for Lefty Grove, 3.09 and 2.31 for Herb Pennock. Their roles differ: Lefty Grove was mainly a starter (457 starts in 616 games); Herb Pennock split time between starting and relief (420 starts in 617 games). Lefty Grove allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.28 WHIP to Herb Pennock's 1.35.
Lefty Grove vs Herb Pennock: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lefty Grove or Herb Pennock?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lefty Grove leads Herb Pennock in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Lefty Grove, with 3.06 to Herb Pennock's 3.60.
- Who won more games?
- Lefty Grove, with 300 to Herb Pennock's 240.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to Herb Pennock's 1,227.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Lefty Grove, with 1.28 to Herb Pennock's 1.35.