Lefty Grove vs Fernando Valenzuela: Career Stats Comparison
Lefty Grove has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Fernando Valenzuela played 1980–1997 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 Fernando Valenzuela (1980–1997) — breaking in during the 1920s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Lefty Grove finished with 300 wins and 2,266 strikeouts; Fernando Valenzuela finished with 173 wins and 2,074 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 Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Lefty Grove, with 300 to Fernando Valenzuela's 173.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP? Lefty Grove, with 1.28 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Lefty Grove, with 3,940.2 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,930.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Lefty Grove, with 35 to Fernando Valenzuela's 31.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lefty Grove, with 81,321 career Pitcher PIV to Fernando Valenzuela's 30,102.
Lefty Grove
Fernando Valenzuela
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 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lefty Grove | Fernando Valenzuela |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 300 | 173 |
| Losses not scored | 141 | 153 |
| Games | Leads: 616 | 453 |
| Games Started | Leads: 457 | 424 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 298 | 113 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 35 | 31 |
| Saves | Leads: 55 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,266 | 2,074 |
| Walks not scored | 1,187 | 1,151 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,849 | 2,718 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 162 | 226 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,940.2 | 2,930.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.06 | 3.54 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.28 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | 5.18 | Leads: 6.37 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.71 | 3.54 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lefty Grove outpaces Fernando Valenzuela 81,321 to 30,102 — driven by per-season impact — 4,784 PIV per season to 1,672 — rather than by longevity, since Lefty Grove played 17 seasons to Fernando Valenzuela's 18. 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)
Fernando Valenzuela — 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 Fernando Valenzuela owns 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 Fernando Valenzuela careers compare
Lefty Grove (1925–1941) was finished before Fernando Valenzuela (1980–1997) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 616 games against 453 across 17 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Fernando Valenzuela are strikeouts per nine (6.37 to 5.18). By rate, Lefty Grove struck out 5.18 and walked 2.71 per nine innings; Fernando Valenzuela struck out 6.37 and walked 3.54. Both had the same role: Lefty Grove was mainly a starter (457 starts in 616 games); Fernando Valenzuela was mainly a starter (424 starts in 453 games). Lefty Grove allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.28 WHIP to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.
Lefty Grove vs Fernando Valenzuela: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lefty Grove or Fernando Valenzuela?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lefty Grove leads Fernando Valenzuela in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Lefty Grove, with 3.06 to Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Lefty Grove, with 300 to Fernando Valenzuela's 173.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Lefty Grove, with 1.28 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.