Juan Marichal vs Warren Spahn: Career Stats Comparison
Warren Spahn has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Juan Marichal played 1960–1975 as a pitcher; Warren Spahn played 1942–1965 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 Warren Spahn (1942–1965) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1940s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Juan Marichal finished with 243 wins and 2,303 strikeouts; Warren Spahn finished with 363 wins and 2,583 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Warren Spahn's 3.09.
- Who won more games? Warren Spahn, with 363 to Juan Marichal's 243.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Warren Spahn, with 2,583 to Juan Marichal's 2,303.
- Who had the better WHIP? Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Warren Spahn's 1.19.
- Who pitched more innings? Warren Spahn, with 5,243.2 to Juan Marichal's 3,507.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Warren Spahn, with 63 to Juan Marichal's 52.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Warren Spahn, with 63,558 career Pitcher PIV to Juan Marichal's 48,870.
Juan Marichal
Warren Spahn
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. 12 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 4 are counting totals on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded them. Totals where fewer is not an achievement -- losses, walks and hits allowed -- are left unmarked, because they track how long someone pitched rather than how well. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1960s and the 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Juan Marichal | Warren Spahn |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 243 | Leads: 363 |
| Losses not scored | 142 | 245 |
| Games | 471 | Leads: 750 |
| Games Started | 457 | Leads: 665 |
| Complete Games | 244 | Leads: 382 |
| Shutouts | 52 | Leads: 63 |
| Saves | 2 | Leads: 29 |
| Strikeouts | 2,303 | Leads: 2,583 |
| Walks not scored | 709 | 1,434 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,153 | 4,830 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 320 | 434 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,507.1 | Leads: 5,243.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.89 | 3.09 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.10 | 1.19 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.91 | 4.43 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.82 | 2.46 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Warren Spahn leads Juan Marichal 63,558 to 48,870 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Warren Spahn played 22 seasons to Juan Marichal's 16, while Juan Marichal carries the higher per-season figure (3,054 to 2,889). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
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)
Warren Spahn — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Warren Spahn leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Juan Marichal owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Warren Spahn. PIV agrees: Warren Spahn 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 Warren Spahn careers compare
Juan Marichal and Warren Spahn were active at the same time between 1960 and 1965. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Juan Marichal appeared in 471 games to Warren Spahn's 750. The green cells for Juan Marichal are ERA (2.89 to 3.09), WHIP (1.10 to 1.19), and strikeouts per nine (5.91 to 4.43). The per-nine rows read 5.91 strikeouts and 1.82 walks for Juan Marichal, 4.43 and 2.46 for Warren Spahn. Juan Marichal was mainly a starter (457 starts in 471 games), and Warren Spahn was mainly a starter (665 starts in 750 games). Juan Marichal allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.10 WHIP to Warren Spahn's 1.19.
Juan Marichal vs Warren Spahn: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Juan Marichal or Warren Spahn?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Warren Spahn leads Juan Marichal in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Warren Spahn's 3.09.
- Who won more games?
- Warren Spahn, with 363 to Juan Marichal's 243.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Warren Spahn, with 2,583 to Juan Marichal's 2,303.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Warren Spahn's 1.19.