Gary Lavelle vs Mike Marshall: Career Stats Comparison
Mike Marshall has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Gary Lavelle played 1974–1987 as a pitcher; Mike Marshall played 1967–1981 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
Gary Lavelle (1974–1987) and Mike Marshall (1967–1981) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Gary Lavelle finished with 80 wins and 769 strikeouts; Mike Marshall finished with 97 wins and 880 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Gary Lavelle, with 2.93 to Mike Marshall's 3.14.
- Who won more games? Mike Marshall, with 97 to Gary Lavelle's 80.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Mike Marshall, with 880 to Gary Lavelle's 769.
- Who had the better WHIP? Mike Marshall, with 1.29 to Gary Lavelle's 1.33.
- Who pitched more innings? Mike Marshall, with 1,386.2 to Gary Lavelle's 1,085.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Mike Marshall, with 1 to Gary Lavelle's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Gary Lavelle, with 18,454 career Pitcher PIV to Mike Marshall's 15,195.
Gary Lavelle
Mike Marshall
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 1970s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Gary Lavelle | Mike Marshall |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 80 | Leads: 97 |
| Losses not scored | 77 | 112 |
| Games | Leads: 745 | 724 |
| Games Started | 3 | Leads: 24 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 3 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Saves | 136 | Leads: 188 |
| Strikeouts | 769 | Leads: 880 |
| Walks not scored | 440 | 514 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,004 | 1,281 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 51 | 79 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,085.0 | Leads: 1,386.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.93 | 3.14 |
| WHIP | 1.33 | Leads: 1.29 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.38 | 5.71 |
| BB/9 | 3.65 | Leads: 3.34 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gary Lavelle leads Mike Marshall 18,454 to 15,195 — driven by per-season impact — 1,318 PIV per season to 894 — rather than by longevity, since Gary Lavelle played 14 seasons to Mike Marshall's 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).
Gary Lavelle
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Mike Marshall — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mike Marshall leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Gary Lavelle owns ERA and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mike Marshall. Note that PIV actually grades Gary Lavelle ahead, which means Mike Marshall's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Gary Lavelle and Mike Marshall careers compare
From 1974 through 1981, Gary Lavelle and Mike Marshall were in the majors together. With 745 games against 724 across 14 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Gary Lavelle comes out ahead, it is in games (745 to 724), ERA (2.93 to 3.14), and strikeouts per nine (6.38 to 5.71). The per-nine rows read 6.38 strikeouts and 3.65 walks for Gary Lavelle, 5.71 and 3.34 for Mike Marshall. Gary Lavelle worked mostly in relief (3 starts in 745 games, 136 saves), and Mike Marshall worked mostly in relief (24 starts in 724 games, 188 saves). In WHIP, Mike Marshall's 1.29 beats Gary Lavelle's 1.33.
Gary Lavelle vs Mike Marshall: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gary Lavelle or Mike Marshall?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mike Marshall leads Gary Lavelle in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Gary Lavelle, with 2.93 to Mike Marshall's 3.14.
- Who won more games?
- Mike Marshall, with 97 to Gary Lavelle's 80.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Mike Marshall, with 880 to Gary Lavelle's 769.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Mike Marshall, with 1.29 to Gary Lavelle's 1.33.