Pedro Martinez vs Gaylord Perry: Career Stats Comparison
Gaylord Perry has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Pedro Martinez played 1992–2009 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
Pedro Martinez (1992–2009) and Gaylord Perry (1962–1983) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Pedro Martinez finished with 219 wins and 3,154 strikeouts; Gaylord Perry finished with 314 wins and 3,534 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Pedro Martinez, with 2.93 to Gaylord Perry's 3.11.
- Who won more games? Gaylord Perry, with 314 to Pedro Martinez's 219.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Gaylord Perry, with 3,534 to Pedro Martinez's 3,154.
- Who had the better WHIP? Pedro Martinez, with 1.05 to Gaylord Perry's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Gaylord Perry, with 5,350.1 to Pedro Martinez's 2,827.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Gaylord Perry, with 53 to Pedro Martinez's 17.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Pedro Martinez, with 113,314 career Pitcher PIV to Gaylord Perry's 78,312.
Pedro Martinez
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. 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 1990s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Pedro Martinez | Gaylord Perry |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 219 | Leads: 314 |
| Losses not scored | 100 | 265 |
| Games | 476 | Leads: 777 |
| Games Started | 409 | Leads: 690 |
| Complete Games | 46 | Leads: 303 |
| Shutouts | 17 | Leads: 53 |
| Saves | 3 | Leads: 11 |
| Strikeouts | 3,154 | Leads: 3,534 |
| Walks not scored | 760 | 1,379 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,221 | 4,938 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 239 | 399 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,827.1 | Leads: 5,350.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.93 | 3.11 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.05 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.04 | 5.94 |
| BB/9 | 2.42 | Leads: 2.32 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pedro Martinez outpaces Gaylord Perry 113,314 to 78,312 — driven by per-season impact — 6,295 PIV per season to 3,132 — rather than by longevity, since Pedro Martinez played 18 seasons to Gaylord Perry's 25. 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).
Pedro Martinez — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Gaylord Perry — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pedro Martinez leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Gaylord Perry owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pedro Martinez. PIV agrees: Pedro Martinez grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Pedro Martinez and Gaylord Perry careers compare
Gaylord Perry (1962–1983) was finished before Pedro Martinez (1992–2009) arrived, so they never shared a league. Gaylord Perry has the far longer record, 777 games against 476 across 18 and 25 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Pedro Martinez are ERA (2.93 to 3.11), WHIP (1.05 to 1.18), and strikeouts per nine (10.04 to 5.94). By rate, Pedro Martinez struck out 10.04 and walked 2.42 per nine innings; Gaylord Perry struck out 5.94 and walked 2.32. Both had the same role: Pedro Martinez was mainly a starter (409 starts in 476 games); Gaylord Perry was mainly a starter (690 starts in 777 games).
Pedro Martinez vs Gaylord Perry: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Pedro Martinez or Gaylord Perry?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gaylord Perry leads Pedro Martinez in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Pedro Martinez, with 2.93 to Gaylord Perry's 3.11.
- Who won more games?
- Gaylord Perry, with 314 to Pedro Martinez's 219.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Gaylord Perry, with 3,534 to Pedro Martinez's 3,154.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Pedro Martinez, with 1.05 to Gaylord Perry's 1.18.