Sandy Koufax vs Bill Monbouquette: Career Stats Comparison
Sandy Koufax has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Sandy Koufax played 1955–1966 as a pitcher; Bill Monbouquette played 1958–1968 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
Sandy Koufax (1955–1966) and Bill Monbouquette (1958–1968) — both came up during the 1950s, so the matchup is a direct one. Sandy Koufax finished with 165 wins and 2,396 strikeouts; Bill Monbouquette finished with 114 wins and 1,122 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Sandy Koufax, with 2.76 to Bill Monbouquette's 3.68.
- Who won more games? Sandy Koufax, with 165 to Bill Monbouquette's 114.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Sandy Koufax, with 2,396 to Bill Monbouquette's 1,122.
- Who had the better WHIP? Sandy Koufax, with 1.11 to Bill Monbouquette's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Sandy Koufax, with 2,324.1 to Bill Monbouquette's 1,961.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Sandy Koufax, with 40 to Bill Monbouquette's 18.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Sandy Koufax, with 63,020 career Pitcher PIV to Bill Monbouquette's 6,669.
Sandy Koufax
Bill Monbouquette
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Sandy Koufax | Bill Monbouquette |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 165 | 114 |
| Losses not scored | 87 | 112 |
| Games | Leads: 397 | 343 |
| Games Started | Leads: 314 | 263 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 137 | 78 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 40 | 18 |
| Saves | Leads: 9 | 3 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,396 | 1,122 |
| Walks not scored | 817 | 462 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,754 | 1,995 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 204 | 211 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,324.1 | 1,961.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.76 | 3.68 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.11 | 1.25 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.28 | 5.15 |
| BB/9 | 3.16 | Leads: 2.12 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Sandy Koufax outpaces Bill Monbouquette 63,020 to 6,669 — driven by per-season impact — 5,252 PIV per season to 513 — rather than by longevity, since Sandy Koufax played 12 seasons to Bill Monbouquette's 13. 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).
Sandy Koufax — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Bill Monbouquette — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Sandy Koufax leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Bill Monbouquette owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Sandy Koufax. PIV agrees: Sandy Koufax grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Sandy Koufax and Bill Monbouquette careers compare
The careers of Sandy Koufax (1955–1966) and Bill Monbouquette (1958–1968) overlapped from 1958 to 1966, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 397 games against 343 across 12 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Bill Monbouquette are walks per nine (2.12 to 3.16). By rate, Sandy Koufax struck out 9.28 and walked 3.16 per nine innings; Bill Monbouquette struck out 5.15 and walked 2.12. Sandy Koufax was mainly a starter (314 starts in 397 games), and Bill Monbouquette was mainly a starter (263 starts in 343 games). Sandy Koufax allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.11 WHIP to Bill Monbouquette's 1.25.
Sandy Koufax vs Bill Monbouquette: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sandy Koufax or Bill Monbouquette?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Sandy Koufax leads Bill Monbouquette in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Sandy Koufax, with 2.76 to Bill Monbouquette's 3.68.
- Who won more games?
- Sandy Koufax, with 165 to Bill Monbouquette's 114.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Sandy Koufax, with 2,396 to Bill Monbouquette's 1,122.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Sandy Koufax, with 1.11 to Bill Monbouquette's 1.25.