Sam McDowell vs Bob Veale: Career Stats Comparison
Sam McDowell (1961–1975) and Bob Veale (1962–1974) — both came up during the 1960s, so the matchup is a direct one. Sam McDowell compiled 141 wins and 2,453 strikeouts; Bob Veale put up 120 wins and 1,703 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Sam McDowell
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 | Bob Veale |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 141 | 120 |
| Losses | 134 | 95 |
| Games | 425 | 397 |
| Games Started | 346 | 255 |
| Complete Games | 103 | 78 |
| Shutouts | 23 | 20 |
| Saves | 14 | 21 |
| Strikeouts | 2,453 | 1,703 |
| Walks | 1,312 | 858 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,948 | 1,684 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 164 | 91 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,492 | 1,926 |
| ERA | 3.17 | 3.07 |
| WHIP | 1.31 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | 8.86 | 7.96 |
| BB/9 | 4.74 | 4.01 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Veale leads Sam McDowell 36,615 to 29,989 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,615 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)
Bob Veale — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Sam McDowell leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Bob Veale owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Sam McDowell. Note that PIV actually grades Bob Veale ahead, which means Sam McDowell's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.