Ron Guidry vs Fernando Valenzuela: Career Stats Comparison
Fernando Valenzuela 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; 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
Ron Guidry (1975–1988) and Fernando Valenzuela (1980–1997) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Ron Guidry finished with 170 wins and 1,778 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? Ron Guidry, with 3.29 to Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Fernando Valenzuela, with 173 to Ron Guidry's 170.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Fernando Valenzuela, with 2,074 to Ron Guidry's 1,778.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ron Guidry, with 1.18 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Fernando Valenzuela, with 2,930.0 to Ron Guidry's 2,392.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Fernando Valenzuela, with 31 to Ron Guidry's 26.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Ron Guidry, with 37,878 career Pitcher PIV to Fernando Valenzuela's 30,102.
Ron Guidry
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 1970s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ron Guidry | Fernando Valenzuela |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 170 | Leads: 173 |
| Losses not scored | 91 | 153 |
| Games | 368 | Leads: 453 |
| Games Started | 323 | Leads: 424 |
| Complete Games | 95 | Leads: 113 |
| Shutouts | 26 | Leads: 31 |
| Saves | Leads: 4 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | 1,778 | Leads: 2,074 |
| Walks not scored | 633 | 1,151 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,198 | 2,718 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 226 | 226 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,392.0 | Leads: 2,930.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.29 | 3.54 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.69 | 6.37 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.38 | 3.54 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ron Guidry leads Fernando Valenzuela 37,878 to 30,102 — driven by per-season impact — 2,706 PIV per season to 1,672 — rather than by longevity, since Ron Guidry played 14 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).
Ron Guidry — 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, Ron Guidry leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Fernando Valenzuela owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. 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 Fernando Valenzuela careers compare
From 1980 through 1988, Ron Guidry and Fernando Valenzuela were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 368 games for Ron Guidry and 453 for Fernando Valenzuela across 14 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 6.69 strikeouts and 2.38 walks for Ron Guidry, 6.37 and 3.54 for Fernando Valenzuela. Ron Guidry was mainly a starter (323 starts in 368 games), and Fernando Valenzuela was mainly a starter (424 starts in 453 games). In WHIP, Ron Guidry's 1.18 beats Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.
Ron Guidry vs Fernando Valenzuela: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ron Guidry or Fernando Valenzuela?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fernando Valenzuela leads Ron Guidry in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ron Guidry, with 3.29 to Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Fernando Valenzuela, with 173 to Ron Guidry's 170.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Fernando Valenzuela, with 2,074 to Ron Guidry's 1,778.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ron Guidry, with 1.18 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.