Tommy John vs Dave Righetti: Career Stats Comparison
Tommy John has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Tommy John played 1963–1989 as a pitcher; Dave Righetti played 1979–1995 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 Dave Righetti (1979–1995) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Tommy John finished with 288 wins and 2,245 strikeouts; Dave Righetti finished with 82 wins and 1,112 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Tommy John, with 3.34 to Dave Righetti's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Tommy John, with 288 to Dave Righetti's 82.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tommy John, with 2,245 to Dave Righetti's 1,112.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tommy John, with 1.28 to Dave Righetti's 1.34.
- Who pitched more innings? Tommy John, with 4,710.1 to Dave Righetti's 1,403.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tommy John, with 46 to Dave Righetti's 2.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tommy John, with 39,802 career Pitcher PIV to Dave Righetti's 20,202.
Tommy John
Dave Righetti
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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Tommy John | Dave Righetti |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 288 | 82 |
| Losses not scored | 231 | 79 |
| Games | Leads: 760 | 718 |
| Games Started | Leads: 700 | 89 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 162 | 13 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 46 | 2 |
| Saves | 4 | Leads: 252 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,245 | 1,112 |
| Walks not scored | 1,259 | 591 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,783 | 1,287 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 302 | 95 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,710.1 | 1,403.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.34 | 3.46 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.28 | 1.34 |
| K/9 | 4.29 | Leads: 7.13 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.41 | 3.79 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tommy John outpaces Dave Righetti 39,802 to 20,202 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,422 PIV per season to 1,188, across 28 seasons to 17. 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).
Tommy John — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Dave Righetti — top 2 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tommy John leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Dave Righetti owns 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.
Related Matchups
How the Tommy John and Dave Righetti careers compare
Tommy John and Dave Righetti were active at the same time between 1979 and 1989. The two careers are close in length, 760 games for Tommy John and 718 for Dave Righetti across 28 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Dave Righetti are saves (252 to 4) and strikeouts per nine (7.13 to 4.29). The per-nine rows read 4.29 strikeouts and 2.41 walks for Tommy John, 7.13 and 3.79 for Dave Righetti. Their roles differ: Tommy John was mainly a starter (700 starts in 760 games); Dave Righetti worked mostly in relief (89 starts in 718 games, 252 saves).
Tommy John vs Dave Righetti: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tommy John or Dave Righetti?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tommy John leads Dave Righetti in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Tommy John, with 3.34 to Dave Righetti's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Tommy John, with 288 to Dave Righetti's 82.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tommy John, with 2,245 to Dave Righetti's 1,112.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tommy John, with 1.28 to Dave Righetti's 1.34.