Tommy John vs Mickey Lolich: Career Stats Comparison
Tommy John (1963–1989) and Mickey Lolich (1963–1979) — both came up during the 1960s, so the matchup is a direct one. Tommy John compiled 288 wins and 2,245 strikeouts; Mickey Lolich put up 217 wins and 2,832 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Tommy John
Mickey Lolich
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 | Tommy John | Mickey Lolich |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 288 | 217 |
| Losses | 231 | 191 |
| Games | 760 | 586 |
| Games Started | 700 | 496 |
| Complete Games | 162 | 195 |
| Shutouts | 46 | 41 |
| Saves | 4 | 11 |
| Strikeouts | 2,245 | 2,832 |
| Walks | 1,259 | 1,099 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,783 | 3,366 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 302 | 347 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,710 | 3,638 |
| ERA | 3.34 | 3.44 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | 1.23 |
| K/9 | 4.29 | 7.01 |
| BB/9 | 2.41 | 2.72 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tommy John leads Mickey Lolich 39,802 to 32,209 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,422 vs 2,013 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).
Tommy John — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Mickey Lolich — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tommy John leads in wins, ERA, and innings pitched, while Mickey Lolich owns strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tommy John. PIV agrees: Tommy John grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.