Derek Lowe vs Jake Peavy: Career Stats Comparison

Derek Lowe (1997–2013) and Jake Peavy (2002–2016) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Derek Lowe compiled 176 wins and 1,722 strikeouts; Jake Peavy put up 152 wins and 2,207 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Derek Lowe

Pitcher · 1997–2013
Wins
176
Losses
157
Strikeouts
1,722
ERA
4.03
WHIP
1.33
IP
2,671
View Derek Lowe's full profile →

Jake Peavy

Pitcher · 2002–2016
Wins
152
Losses
126
Strikeouts
2,207
ERA
3.63
WHIP
1.20
IP
2,377
View Jake Peavy's full profile →

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 Derek Lowe Jake Peavy
Wins 176 152
Losses 157 126
Games 681 388
Games Started 377 377
Complete Games 10 15
Shutouts 4 6
Saves 86 0
Strikeouts 1,722 2,207
Walks 794 708
Hits Allowed 2,759 2,134
Home Runs Allowed 217 259
Innings Pitched 2,671 2,377
ERA 4.03 3.63
WHIP 1.33 1.20
K/9 5.80 8.36
BB/9 2.68 2.68

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Derek Lowe edges Jake Peavy 35,122 to 34,745 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,849 vs 1,930 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Derek Lowe
35,122
Career Pitcher PIV · 1,849 per season (19 seasons)
Jake Peavy
34,745
Career Pitcher PIV · 1,930 per season (18 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).

Derek Lowe — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20022.58 ERA21-8, 127 K in 219 IP
20083.24 ERA14-11, 147 K in 211 IP
20053.61 ERA12-15, 146 K in 222 IP

Jake Peavy — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20042.27 ERA15-6, 173 K in 166 IP
20072.54 ERA19-6, 240 K in 223 IP
20082.85 ERA10-11, 166 K in 173 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Jake Peavy leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Derek Lowe owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jake Peavy. Note that PIV actually grades Derek Lowe ahead, which means Jake Peavy's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

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