Gary Lavelle vs Bruce Sutter: Career Stats Comparison
Gary Lavelle (1974–1987) and Bruce Sutter (1976–1988) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Gary Lavelle compiled 80 wins and 769 strikeouts; Bruce Sutter put up 68 wins and 861 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Gary Lavelle
Bruce Sutter
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 | Bruce Sutter |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 80 | 68 |
| Losses | 77 | 71 |
| Games | 745 | 661 |
| Games Started | 3 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 136 | 300 |
| Strikeouts | 769 | 861 |
| Walks | 440 | 309 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,004 | 879 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 51 | 77 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,085 | 1,042 |
| ERA | 2.93 | 2.83 |
| WHIP | 1.33 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | 6.38 | 7.44 |
| BB/9 | 3.65 | 2.67 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bruce Sutter leads Gary Lavelle 23,292 to 18,454 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,941 vs 1,318 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)
Bruce Sutter — top 1 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bruce Sutter leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Gary Lavelle owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bruce Sutter. PIV agrees: Bruce Sutter grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.