Juan Marichal vs Billy O'Dell: Career Stats Comparison
Juan Marichal (1960–1975) and Billy O'Dell (1954–1967) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1950s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Juan Marichal compiled 243 wins and 2,303 strikeouts; Billy O'Dell put up 105 wins and 1,133 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Juan Marichal
Billy O'Dell
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 | Juan Marichal | Billy O'Dell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 243 | 105 |
| Losses | 142 | 100 |
| Games | 471 | 479 |
| Games Started | 457 | 199 |
| Complete Games | 244 | 63 |
| Shutouts | 52 | 13 |
| Saves | 2 | 48 |
| Strikeouts | 2,303 | 1,133 |
| Walks | 709 | 556 |
| Hits Allowed | 3,153 | 1,697 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 320 | 137 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,507 | 1,817 |
| ERA | 2.89 | 3.29 |
| WHIP | 1.10 | 1.24 |
| K/9 | 5.91 | 5.61 |
| BB/9 | 1.82 | 2.75 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Juan Marichal outpaces Billy O'Dell 48,870 to 23,766 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,054 vs 1,698 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).
Juan Marichal — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Billy O'Dell — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Juan Marichal leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Billy O'Dell owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Juan Marichal. PIV agrees: Juan Marichal grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.