Ron Guidry vs J. R. Richard: Career Stats Comparison
Ron Guidry (1975–1988) and J. R. Richard (1971–1980) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Ron Guidry compiled 170 wins and 1,778 strikeouts; J. R. Richard put up 107 wins and 1,493 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Ron Guidry
J. R. Richard
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Ron Guidry | J. R. Richard |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 170 | 107 |
| Losses | 91 | 71 |
| Games | 368 | 238 |
| Games Started | 323 | 221 |
| Complete Games | 95 | 76 |
| Shutouts | 26 | 19 |
| Saves | 4 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,778 | 1,493 |
| Walks | 633 | 770 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,198 | 1,227 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 226 | 73 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,392 | 1,606 |
| ERA | 3.29 | 3.15 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | 1.24 |
| K/9 | 6.69 | 8.37 |
| BB/9 | 2.38 | 4.32 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), J. R. Richard edges Ron Guidry 38,918 to 37,878 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,892 vs 2,706 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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)
J. R. Richard — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ron Guidry leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and innings pitched, while J. R. Richard owns ERA and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ron Guidry. Note that PIV actually grades J. R. Richard ahead, which means Ron Guidry's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.