Fergie Jenkins vs Robin Roberts: Career Stats Comparison

Fergie Jenkins (1965–1983) and Robin Roberts (1948–1966) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1940s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Fergie Jenkins compiled 284 wins and 3,192 strikeouts; Robin Roberts put up 286 wins and 2,357 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Fergie Jenkins

Pitcher · 1965–1983
Wins
284
Losses
226
Strikeouts
3,192
ERA
3.34
WHIP
1.14
IP
4,500
View Fergie Jenkins's full profile →

Robin Roberts

Pitcher · 1948–1966
Wins
286
Losses
245
Strikeouts
2,357
ERA
3.41
WHIP
1.17
IP
4,688
View Robin Roberts's full profile →

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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.

Statistic Fergie Jenkins Robin Roberts
Wins 284 286
Losses 226 245
Games 664 676
Games Started 594 609
Complete Games 267 305
Shutouts 49 45
Saves 7 25
Strikeouts 3,192 2,357
Walks 997 902
Hits Allowed 4,142 4,582
Home Runs Allowed 484 505
Innings Pitched 4,500 4,688
ERA 3.34 3.41
WHIP 1.14 1.17
K/9 6.38 4.52
BB/9 1.99 1.73

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Robin Roberts leads Fergie Jenkins 49,794 to 40,614 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,371 vs 2,031 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Fergie Jenkins
40,614
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,031 per season (20 seasons)
Robin Roberts
49,794
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,371 per season (21 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

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)

19682.63 ERA20-15, 260 K in 308 IP
19712.77 ERA24-13, 263 K in 325 IP
19672.80 ERA20-13, 236 K in 289 IP

Robin Roberts — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19522.59 ERA28-7, 148 K in 330 IP
19532.75 ERA23-16, 198 K in 346 IP
19622.78 ERA10-9, 102 K in 191 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Fergie Jenkins leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Robin Roberts owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Fergie Jenkins. Note that PIV actually grades Robin Roberts ahead, which means Fergie Jenkins's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

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