Ron Guidry vs Dave Righetti: Career Stats Comparison
Ron Guidry has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Dave Righetti played 1979–1995 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 Dave Righetti (1979–1995) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Ron Guidry finished with 170 wins and 1,778 strikeouts; Dave Righetti finished with 82 wins and 1,112 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 Dave Righetti's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Ron Guidry, with 170 to Dave Righetti's 82.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Ron Guidry, with 1,778 to Dave Righetti's 1,112.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ron Guidry, with 1.18 to Dave Righetti's 1.34.
- Who pitched more innings? Ron Guidry, with 2,392.0 to Dave Righetti's 1,403.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Ron Guidry, with 26 to Dave Righetti's 2.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Ron Guidry, with 37,878 career Pitcher PIV to Dave Righetti's 20,202.
Ron Guidry
Dave Righetti
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 | Ron Guidry | Dave Righetti |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 170 | 82 |
| Losses not scored | 91 | 79 |
| Games | 368 | Leads: 718 |
| Games Started | Leads: 323 | 89 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 95 | 13 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 26 | 2 |
| Saves | 4 | Leads: 252 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,778 | 1,112 |
| Walks not scored | 633 | 591 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,198 | 1,287 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 226 | 95 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,392.0 | 1,403.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.29 | 3.46 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.34 |
| K/9 | 6.69 | Leads: 7.13 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.38 | 3.79 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ron Guidry outpaces Dave Righetti 37,878 to 20,202 — driven by per-season impact — 2,706 PIV per season to 1,188 — rather than by longevity, since Ron Guidry played 14 seasons to Dave Righetti's 17. 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)
Dave Righetti — top 2 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ron Guidry leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Dave Righetti owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ron Guidry. PIV agrees: Ron Guidry 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 Dave Righetti careers compare
The careers of Ron Guidry (1975–1988) and Dave Righetti (1979–1995) overlapped from 1979 to 1988, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 368 games of Ron Guidry with 718 of Dave Righetti across 14 and 17 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Dave Righetti are games (718 to 368), saves (252 to 4), and strikeouts per nine (7.13 to 6.69). By rate, Ron Guidry struck out 6.69 and walked 2.38 per nine innings; Dave Righetti struck out 7.13 and walked 3.79.
Ron Guidry vs Dave Righetti: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ron Guidry or Dave Righetti?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ron Guidry leads Dave Righetti in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ron Guidry, with 3.29 to Dave Righetti's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Ron Guidry, with 170 to Dave Righetti's 82.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Ron Guidry, with 1,778 to Dave Righetti's 1,112.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ron Guidry, with 1.18 to Dave Righetti's 1.34.