Fergie Jenkins vs Juan Marichal: Career Stats Comparison
Fergie Jenkins has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 statistical categories compared on this page. Fergie Jenkins played 1965–1983 as a pitcher; Juan Marichal played 1960–1975 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 Juan Marichal (1960–1975) — both came up during the 1960s, so the matchup is a direct one. Fergie Jenkins compiled 284 wins and 3,192 strikeouts; Juan Marichal put up 243 wins and 2,303 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Fergie Jenkins's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Fergie Jenkins, with 284 to Juan Marichal's 243.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Fergie Jenkins, with 3,192 to Juan Marichal's 2,303.
- Who had the better WHIP? Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Fergie Jenkins's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Fergie Jenkins, with 4,500 to Juan Marichal's 3,507.
- Who threw more shutouts? Juan Marichal, with 52 to Fergie Jenkins's 49.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Juan Marichal, with 48,870 career Pitcher PIV to Fergie Jenkins's 40,614.
Fergie Jenkins
Juan Marichal
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. 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: compare them with the era in mind, or use the PIV card below, which is.
| Statistic | Fergie Jenkins | Juan Marichal |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 284 | 243 |
| Losses | 226 | 142 |
| Games | Leads: 664 | 471 |
| Games Started | Leads: 594 | 457 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 267 | 244 |
| Shutouts | 49 | Leads: 52 |
| Saves | Leads: 7 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,192 | 2,303 |
| Walks | 997 | 709 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,142 | 3,153 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 484 | 320 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,500 | 3,507 |
| ERA | 3.34 | Leads: 2.89 |
| WHIP | 1.14 | Leads: 1.10 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.38 | 5.91 |
| BB/9 | 1.99 | Leads: 1.82 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Juan Marichal leads Fergie Jenkins 48,870 to 40,614 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,054 vs 2,031 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).
Fergie Jenkins — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Juan Marichal — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Fergie Jenkins leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Juan Marichal owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Fergie Jenkins. Note that PIV actually grades Juan Marichal ahead, which means Fergie Jenkins's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Fergie Jenkins vs Juan Marichal: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Fergie Jenkins or Juan Marichal?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fergie Jenkins leads Juan Marichal in 8 of 12 categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Fergie Jenkins's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 284 to Juan Marichal's 243.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 3,192 to Juan Marichal's 2,303.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Fergie Jenkins's 1.14.