Lefty Grove vs Red Ruffing: Career Stats Comparison
Lefty Grove has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Red Ruffing played 1924–1947 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 Red Ruffing (1924–1947) — both came up during the 1920s, so the matchup is a direct one. Lefty Grove finished with 300 wins and 2,266 strikeouts; Red Ruffing finished with 273 wins and 1,987 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 Red Ruffing's 3.80.
- Who won more games? Lefty Grove, with 300 to Red Ruffing's 273.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to Red Ruffing's 1,987.
- Who had the better WHIP? Lefty Grove, with 1.28 to Red Ruffing's 1.34.
- Who pitched more innings? Red Ruffing, with 4,344.0 to Lefty Grove's 3,940.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Red Ruffing, with 45 to Lefty Grove's 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lefty Grove, with 81,321 career Pitcher PIV to Red Ruffing's 17,432.
Lefty Grove
Red Ruffing
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lefty Grove | Red Ruffing |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 300 | 273 |
| Losses not scored | 141 | 225 |
| Games | 616 | Leads: 624 |
| Games Started | 457 | Leads: 536 |
| Complete Games | 298 | Leads: 335 |
| Shutouts | 35 | Leads: 45 |
| Saves | Leads: 55 | 16 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,266 | 1,987 |
| Walks not scored | 1,187 | 1,541 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,849 | 4,284 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 162 | 254 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,940.2 | Leads: 4,344.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.06 | 3.80 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.28 | 1.34 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.18 | 4.12 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.71 | 3.19 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lefty Grove outpaces Red Ruffing 81,321 to 17,432 — driven by per-season impact — 4,784 PIV per season to 758 — rather than by longevity, since Lefty Grove played 17 seasons to Red Ruffing'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)
Red Ruffing — 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 Red Ruffing owns innings pitched. 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 Red Ruffing careers compare
The careers of Lefty Grove (1925–1941) and Red Ruffing (1924–1947) overlapped from 1925 to 1941, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 616 games for Lefty Grove and 624 for Red Ruffing across 17 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 5.18 strikeouts and 2.71 walks for Lefty Grove, 4.12 and 3.19 for Red Ruffing. Both had the same role: Lefty Grove was mainly a starter (457 starts in 616 games); Red Ruffing was mainly a starter (536 starts in 624 games). Lefty Grove allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.28 WHIP to Red Ruffing's 1.34.
Lefty Grove vs Red Ruffing: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lefty Grove or Red Ruffing?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lefty Grove leads Red Ruffing in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Lefty Grove, with 3.06 to Red Ruffing's 3.80.
- Who won more games?
- Lefty Grove, with 300 to Red Ruffing's 273.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to Red Ruffing's 1,987.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Lefty Grove, with 1.28 to Red Ruffing's 1.34.