Lefty Grove vs Lon Warneke: Career Stats Comparison
Lefty Grove has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Lon Warneke played 1930–1945 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 Lon Warneke (1930–1945) — breaking in during the 1920s and the 1930s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Lefty Grove finished with 300 wins and 2,266 strikeouts; Lon Warneke finished with 192 wins and 1,140 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 Lon Warneke's 3.18.
- Who won more games? Lefty Grove, with 300 to Lon Warneke's 192.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to Lon Warneke's 1,140.
- Who had the better WHIP? Lon Warneke, with 1.25 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Lefty Grove, with 3,940.2 to Lon Warneke's 2,782.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Lefty Grove, with 35 to Lon Warneke's 30.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lefty Grove, with 81,321 career Pitcher PIV to Lon Warneke's 21,013.
Lefty Grove
Lon Warneke
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 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lefty Grove | Lon Warneke |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 300 | 192 |
| Losses not scored | 141 | 121 |
| Games | Leads: 616 | 445 |
| Games Started | Leads: 457 | 343 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 298 | 192 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 35 | 30 |
| Saves | Leads: 55 | 13 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,266 | 1,140 |
| Walks not scored | 1,187 | 739 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,849 | 2,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 162 | 175 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,940.2 | 2,782.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.06 | 3.18 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | Leads: 1.25 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.18 | 3.69 |
| BB/9 | 2.71 | Leads: 2.39 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lefty Grove outpaces Lon Warneke 81,321 to 21,013 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,784 PIV per season to 1,313, 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)
Lon Warneke — 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 Lon Warneke 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.
Related Matchups
How the Lefty Grove and Lon Warneke careers compare
From 1930 through 1941, Lefty Grove and Lon Warneke were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 616 games for Lefty Grove and 445 for Lon Warneke across 17 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Lon Warneke comes out ahead, it is in WHIP (1.25 to 1.28) and walks per nine (2.39 to 2.71). The per-nine rows read 5.18 strikeouts and 2.71 walks for Lefty Grove, 3.69 and 2.39 for Lon Warneke. Both had the same role: Lefty Grove was mainly a starter (457 starts in 616 games); Lon Warneke was mainly a starter (343 starts in 445 games).
Lefty Grove vs Lon Warneke: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lefty Grove or Lon Warneke?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lefty Grove leads Lon Warneke in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Lefty Grove, with 3.06 to Lon Warneke's 3.18.
- Who won more games?
- Lefty Grove, with 300 to Lon Warneke's 192.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to Lon Warneke's 1,140.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Lon Warneke, with 1.25 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.