Ron Guidry vs Tommy John: Career Stats Comparison
Tommy John 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). Ron Guidry played 1975–1988 as a pitcher; Tommy John played 1963–1989 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
Ron Guidry (1975–1988) and Tommy John (1963–1989) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Ron Guidry finished with 170 wins and 1,778 strikeouts; Tommy John finished with 288 wins and 2,245 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Ron Guidry, with 3.29 to Tommy John's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Tommy John, with 288 to Ron Guidry's 170.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tommy John, with 2,245 to Ron Guidry's 1,778.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ron Guidry, with 1.18 to Tommy John's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Tommy John, with 4,710.1 to Ron Guidry's 2,392.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tommy John, with 46 to Ron Guidry's 26.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tommy John, with 39,802 career Pitcher PIV to Ron Guidry's 37,878.
Ron Guidry
Tommy John
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 1970s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ron Guidry | Tommy John |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 170 | Leads: 288 |
| Losses not scored | 91 | 231 |
| Games | 368 | Leads: 760 |
| Games Started | 323 | Leads: 700 |
| Complete Games | 95 | Leads: 162 |
| Shutouts | 26 | Leads: 46 |
| Saves | 4 | 4 |
| Strikeouts | 1,778 | Leads: 2,245 |
| Walks not scored | 633 | 1,259 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,198 | 4,783 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 226 | 302 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,392.0 | Leads: 4,710.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.29 | 3.34 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.28 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.69 | 4.29 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.38 | 2.41 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tommy John edges Ron Guidry 39,802 to 37,878 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Tommy John played 28 seasons to Ron Guidry's 14, while Ron Guidry carries the higher per-season figure (2,706 to 1,422). 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).
Ron Guidry — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Tommy John — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tommy John leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Ron Guidry owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tommy John. PIV agrees: Tommy John grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ron Guidry and Tommy John careers compare
From 1975 through 1988, Ron Guidry and Tommy John were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Ron Guidry appeared in 368 games to Tommy John's 760. The green cells for Ron Guidry are ERA (3.29 to 3.34), WHIP (1.18 to 1.28), and strikeouts per nine (6.69 to 4.29). The per-nine rows read 6.69 strikeouts and 2.38 walks for Ron Guidry, 4.29 and 2.41 for Tommy John. Both had the same role: Ron Guidry was mainly a starter (323 starts in 368 games); Tommy John was mainly a starter (700 starts in 760 games). In WHIP, Ron Guidry's 1.18 beats Tommy John's 1.28.
Ron Guidry vs Tommy John: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ron Guidry or Tommy John?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tommy John leads Ron Guidry in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ron Guidry, with 3.29 to Tommy John's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Tommy John, with 288 to Ron Guidry's 170.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tommy John, with 2,245 to Ron Guidry's 1,778.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ron Guidry, with 1.18 to Tommy John's 1.28.