Juan Marichal vs Gaylord Perry: Career Stats Comparison
Gaylord Perry has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Juan Marichal played 1960–1975 as a pitcher; Gaylord Perry played 1962–1983 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
Juan Marichal (1960–1975) and Gaylord Perry (1962–1983) — both debuted in the 1960s. Juan Marichal finished with 243 wins and 2,303 strikeouts; Gaylord Perry finished with 314 wins and 3,534 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Gaylord Perry, in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Gaylord Perry's 3.11.
- Who won more games? Gaylord Perry, with 314 to Juan Marichal's 243.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Gaylord Perry, with 3,534 to Juan Marichal's 2,303.
- Who had the better WHIP? Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Gaylord Perry's 1.18.
- How many innings did each pitch? Juan Marichal 3,507.1, Gaylord Perry 5,350.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Gaylord Perry, with 53 to Juan Marichal's 52.
Juan Marichal
Gaylord Perry
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Juan Marichal | Gaylord Perry |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 243 | Leads: 314 |
| Losses not scored | 142 | 265 |
| Games not scored | 471 | 777 |
| Games Started not scored | 457 | 690 |
| Complete Games | 244 | Leads: 303 |
| Shutouts | 52 | Leads: 53 |
| Saves not scored | 2 | 11 |
| Strikeouts | 2,303 | Leads: 3,534 |
| Walks not scored | 709 | 1,379 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,153 | 4,938 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 320 | 399 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,507.1 | 5,350.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.89 | 3.11 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.10 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | 5.91 | Leads: 5.94 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.82 | 2.32 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gaylord Perry outpaces Juan Marichal 78,312 to 48,870 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,560 PIV per season to 3,054, across 22 seasons to 16. 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)
Gaylord Perry — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Gaylord Perry leads 5 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Juan Marichal leads 3: ERA, WHIP, and walks per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Gaylord Perry. PIV agrees: Gaylord Perry grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry careers compare
The careers of Juan Marichal (1960–1975) and Gaylord Perry (1962–1983) overlapped from 1962 to 1975, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Gaylord Perry has the far longer record, 777 games against 471 across 16 and 22 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Juan Marichal comes out ahead, it is in ERA (2.89 to 3.11), WHIP (1.10 to 1.18), and walks per nine (1.82 to 2.32). By rate, Juan Marichal struck out 5.91 and walked 1.82 per nine innings; Gaylord Perry struck out 5.94 and walked 2.32.
Juan Marichal vs Gaylord Perry: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Juan Marichal or Gaylord Perry?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gaylord Perry leads Juan Marichal in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Gaylord Perry's 3.11.
- Who won more games?
- Gaylord Perry, with 314 to Juan Marichal's 243.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Gaylord Perry, with 3,534 to Juan Marichal's 2,303.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Gaylord Perry's 1.18.