Tommy John vs Juan Marichal: Career Stats Comparison
Juan Marichal has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Tommy John played 1963–1989 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
Tommy John (1963–1989) and Juan Marichal (1960–1975) — both debuted in the 1960s. Tommy John finished with 288 wins and 2,245 strikeouts; Juan Marichal finished with 243 wins and 2,303 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Juan Marichal, in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Tommy John's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Tommy John, with 288 to Juan Marichal's 243.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Juan Marichal, with 2,303 to Tommy John's 2,245.
- Who had the better WHIP? Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Tommy John's 1.28.
- How many innings did each pitch? Tommy John 4,710.1, Juan Marichal 3,507.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Juan Marichal, with 52 to Tommy John's 46.
Tommy John
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Tommy John | Juan Marichal |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 288 | 243 |
| Losses not scored | 231 | 142 |
| Games not scored | 760 | 471 |
| Games Started not scored | 700 | 457 |
| Complete Games | 162 | Leads: 244 |
| Shutouts | 46 | Leads: 52 |
| Saves not scored | 4 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | 2,245 | Leads: 2,303 |
| Walks not scored | 1,259 | 709 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,783 | 3,153 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 302 | 320 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 4,710.1 | 3,507.1 |
| ERA | 3.34 | Leads: 2.89 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | Leads: 1.10 |
| K/9 | 4.29 | Leads: 5.91 |
| BB/9 | 2.41 | Leads: 1.82 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Juan Marichal leads Tommy John 48,870 to 39,802 — driven by per-season impact — 3,054 PIV per season to 1,531 — rather than by longevity, since Juan Marichal played 16 seasons to Tommy John's 26. 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)
Juan Marichal — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Juan Marichal leads 7 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, ERA, and others. Tommy John leads 1: wins. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Juan Marichal. PIV agrees: Juan Marichal grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tommy John and Juan Marichal careers compare
Tommy John and Juan Marichal were active at the same time between 1963 and 1975. Tommy John has the far longer record, 760 games against 471 across 26 and 16 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Tommy John are wins (288 to 243). By rate, Tommy John struck out 4.29 and walked 2.41 per nine innings; Juan Marichal struck out 5.91 and walked 1.82. Both had the same role: Tommy John was mainly a starter (700 starts in 760 games); Juan Marichal was mainly a starter (457 starts in 471 games). Juan Marichal allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.10 WHIP to Tommy John's 1.28.
Tommy John vs Juan Marichal: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tommy John or Juan Marichal?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Juan Marichal leads Tommy John in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Tommy John's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Tommy John, with 288 to Juan Marichal's 243.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Juan Marichal, with 2,303 to Tommy John's 2,245.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Tommy John's 1.28.