Fergie Jenkins vs Johnny Podres: 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; Johnny Podres played 1953–1969 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 Johnny Podres (1953–1969) — 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; Johnny Podres finished with 148 wins and 1,435 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 Johnny Podres's 3.68.
- Who won more games? Fergie Jenkins, with 284 to Johnny Podres's 148.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Fergie Jenkins, with 3,192 to Johnny Podres's 1,435.
- Who had the better WHIP? Fergie Jenkins, with 1.14 to Johnny Podres's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Fergie Jenkins, with 4,500.2 to Johnny Podres's 2,265.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Fergie Jenkins, with 49 to Johnny Podres's 24.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Fergie Jenkins, with 40,614 career Pitcher PIV to Johnny Podres's 10,143.
Fergie Jenkins
Johnny Podres
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 | Johnny Podres |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 284 | 148 |
| Losses not scored | 226 | 116 |
| Games | Leads: 664 | 440 |
| Games Started | Leads: 594 | 340 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 267 | 77 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 49 | 24 |
| Saves | 7 | Leads: 11 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,192 | 1,435 |
| Walks not scored | 997 | 743 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,142 | 2,239 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 484 | 242 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,500.2 | 2,265.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.34 | 3.68 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.38 | 5.70 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.99 | 2.95 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Fergie Jenkins outpaces Johnny Podres 40,614 to 10,143 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,031 PIV per season to 634, 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)
Johnny Podres — 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 Johnny Podres 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 Johnny Podres careers compare
The careers of Fergie Jenkins (1965–1983) and Johnny Podres (1953–1969) overlapped from 1965 to 1969, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Fergie Jenkins has the far longer record, 664 games against 440 across 20 and 16 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Johnny Podres's edges on the table are saves (11 to 7). By rate, Fergie Jenkins struck out 6.38 and walked 1.99 per nine innings; Johnny Podres struck out 5.70 and walked 2.95. Both had the same role: Fergie Jenkins was mainly a starter (594 starts in 664 games); Johnny Podres was mainly a starter (340 starts in 440 games).
Fergie Jenkins vs Johnny Podres: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Fergie Jenkins or Johnny Podres?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fergie Jenkins leads Johnny Podres in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 3.34 to Johnny Podres's 3.68.
- Who won more games?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 284 to Johnny Podres's 148.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 3,192 to Johnny Podres's 1,435.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 1.14 to Johnny Podres's 1.32.