Jerry Koosman vs Juan Marichal: Career Stats Comparison
Juan Marichal has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jerry Koosman played 1967–1985 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
Jerry Koosman (1967–1985) and Juan Marichal (1960–1975) — both debuted in the 1960s. Jerry Koosman finished with 222 wins and 2,556 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 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Jerry Koosman's 3.36.
- Who won more games? Juan Marichal, with 243 to Jerry Koosman's 222.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jerry Koosman, with 2,556 to Juan Marichal's 2,303.
- Who had the better WHIP? Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Jerry Koosman's 1.26.
- How many innings did each pitch? Jerry Koosman 3,839.1, Juan Marichal 3,507.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Juan Marichal, with 52 to Jerry Koosman's 33.
Jerry Koosman
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 | Jerry Koosman | Juan Marichal |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 222 | Leads: 243 |
| Losses not scored | 209 | 142 |
| Games not scored | 612 | 471 |
| Games Started not scored | 527 | 457 |
| Complete Games | 140 | Leads: 244 |
| Shutouts | 33 | Leads: 52 |
| Saves not scored | 17 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,556 | 2,303 |
| Walks not scored | 1,198 | 709 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,635 | 3,153 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 290 | 320 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,839.1 | 3,507.1 |
| ERA | 3.36 | Leads: 2.89 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.10 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.99 | 5.91 |
| BB/9 | 2.81 | Leads: 1.82 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Juan Marichal leads Jerry Koosman 48,870 to 42,939 — driven by per-season impact — 3,054 PIV per season to 2,260 — rather than by longevity, since Juan Marichal played 16 seasons to Jerry Koosman's 19. 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).
Jerry Koosman — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Juan Marichal — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Juan Marichal leads 6 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, ERA, and others. Jerry Koosman leads 2: strikeouts and strikeouts per nine. 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 Jerry Koosman and Juan Marichal careers compare
The careers of Jerry Koosman (1967–1985) and Juan Marichal (1960–1975) overlapped from 1967 to 1975, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 612 games for Jerry Koosman and 471 for Juan Marichal across 19 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Jerry Koosman's edges on the table are strikeouts (2,556 to 2,303) and strikeouts per nine (5.99 to 5.91). The per-nine rows read 5.99 strikeouts and 2.81 walks for Jerry Koosman, 5.91 and 1.82 for Juan Marichal. Jerry Koosman was mainly a starter (527 starts in 612 games), and Juan Marichal was mainly a starter (457 starts in 471 games).
Jerry Koosman vs Juan Marichal: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jerry Koosman or Juan Marichal?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Juan Marichal leads Jerry Koosman in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Jerry Koosman's 3.36.
- Who won more games?
- Juan Marichal, with 243 to Jerry Koosman's 222.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jerry Koosman, with 2,556 to Juan Marichal's 2,303.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Jerry Koosman's 1.26.