Gary Lavelle vs Tug McGraw: Career Stats Comparison
Gary Lavelle (1974–1987) and Tug McGraw (1965–1984) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Gary Lavelle compiled 80 wins and 769 strikeouts; Tug McGraw put up 96 wins and 1,109 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Gary Lavelle
Tug McGraw
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Gary Lavelle | Tug McGraw |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 80 | 96 |
| Losses | 77 | 92 |
| Games | 745 | 824 |
| Games Started | 3 | 39 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 5 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 1 |
| Saves | 136 | 180 |
| Strikeouts | 769 | 1,109 |
| Walks | 440 | 582 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,004 | 1,318 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 51 | 108 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,085 | 1,514 |
| ERA | 2.93 | 3.14 |
| WHIP | 1.33 | 1.25 |
| K/9 | 6.38 | 6.59 |
| BB/9 | 3.65 | 3.46 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gary Lavelle leads Tug McGraw 18,454 to 16,151 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,318 vs 850 per year). 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).
Gary Lavelle — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Tug McGraw — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tug McGraw leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Gary Lavelle owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tug McGraw. Note that PIV actually grades Gary Lavelle ahead, which means Tug McGraw's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.