Fergie Jenkins vs Vern Law: Career Stats Comparison
Fergie Jenkins has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Fergie Jenkins played 1965–1983 as a pitcher; Vern Law played 1950–1967 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
Fergie Jenkins (1965–1983) and Vern Law (1950–1967) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1950s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Fergie Jenkins finished with 284 wins and 3,192 strikeouts; Vern Law finished with 162 wins and 1,092 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Fergie Jenkins, with 3.34 to Vern Law's 3.77.
- Who won more games? Fergie Jenkins, with 284 to Vern Law's 162.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Fergie Jenkins, with 3,192 to Vern Law's 1,092.
- Who had the better WHIP? Fergie Jenkins, with 1.14 to Vern Law's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Fergie Jenkins, with 4,500.2 to Vern Law's 2,672.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Fergie Jenkins, with 49 to Vern Law's 28.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Fergie Jenkins, with 40,614 career Pitcher PIV to Vern Law's 8,173.
Fergie Jenkins
Vern Law
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 1960s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Fergie Jenkins | Vern Law |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 284 | 162 |
| Losses not scored | 226 | 147 |
| Games | Leads: 664 | 483 |
| Games Started | Leads: 594 | 364 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 267 | 119 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 49 | 28 |
| Saves | 7 | Leads: 13 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,192 | 1,092 |
| Walks not scored | 997 | 597 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,142 | 2,833 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 484 | 268 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,500.2 | 2,672.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.34 | 3.77 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.28 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.38 | 3.68 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.99 | 2.01 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Fergie Jenkins outpaces Vern Law 40,614 to 8,173 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,031 PIV per season to 511, across 20 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).
Fergie Jenkins — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Vern Law — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Fergie Jenkins leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Vern Law owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Fergie Jenkins. PIV agrees: Fergie Jenkins grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Fergie Jenkins and Vern Law careers compare
The careers of Fergie Jenkins (1965–1983) and Vern Law (1950–1967) overlapped from 1965 to 1967, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 664 games against 483 across 20 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Vern Law's edges on the table are saves (13 to 7). The per-nine rows read 6.38 strikeouts and 1.99 walks for Fergie Jenkins, 3.68 and 2.01 for Vern Law. Both had the same role: Fergie Jenkins was mainly a starter (594 starts in 664 games); Vern Law was mainly a starter (364 starts in 483 games). In WHIP, Fergie Jenkins's 1.14 beats Vern Law's 1.28.
Fergie Jenkins vs Vern Law: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Fergie Jenkins or Vern Law?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fergie Jenkins leads Vern Law in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 3.34 to Vern Law's 3.77.
- Who won more games?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 284 to Vern Law's 162.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 3,192 to Vern Law's 1,092.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 1.14 to Vern Law's 1.28.