Sam McDowell vs J. R. Richard: Career Stats Comparison
Sam McDowell (1961–1975) and J. R. Richard (1971–1980) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Sam McDowell compiled 141 wins and 2,453 strikeouts; J. R. Richard put up 107 wins and 1,493 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Sam McDowell
J. R. Richard
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 | Sam McDowell | J. R. Richard |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 141 | 107 |
| Losses | 134 | 71 |
| Games | 425 | 238 |
| Games Started | 346 | 221 |
| Complete Games | 103 | 76 |
| Shutouts | 23 | 19 |
| Saves | 14 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,453 | 1,493 |
| Walks | 1,312 | 770 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,948 | 1,227 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 164 | 73 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,492 | 1,606 |
| ERA | 3.17 | 3.15 |
| WHIP | 1.31 | 1.24 |
| K/9 | 8.86 | 8.37 |
| BB/9 | 4.74 | 4.32 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), J. R. Richard leads Sam McDowell 38,918 to 29,989 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,892 vs 1,874 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).
Sam McDowell — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
J. R. Richard — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Sam McDowell leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while J. R. Richard owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Sam McDowell. Note that PIV actually grades J. R. Richard ahead, which means Sam McDowell's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.