Tug McGraw vs Tom Seaver: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Seaver has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Tug McGraw played 1965–1984 as a pitcher; Tom Seaver played 1967–1986 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
Tug McGraw (1965–1984) and Tom Seaver (1967–1986) — both came up during the 1960s, so the matchup is a direct one. Tug McGraw finished with 96 wins and 1,109 strikeouts; Tom Seaver finished with 311 wins and 3,640 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Tom Seaver, with 2.86 to Tug McGraw's 3.14.
- Who won more games? Tom Seaver, with 311 to Tug McGraw's 96.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Seaver, with 3,640 to Tug McGraw's 1,109.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tom Seaver, with 1.12 to Tug McGraw's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Tom Seaver, with 4,782.2 to Tug McGraw's 1,514.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tom Seaver, with 61 to Tug McGraw's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tom Seaver, with 79,192 career Pitcher PIV to Tug McGraw's 16,151.
Tug McGraw
Tom Seaver
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Tug McGraw | Tom Seaver |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 96 | Leads: 311 |
| Losses not scored | 92 | 205 |
| Games | Leads: 824 | 656 |
| Games Started | 39 | Leads: 647 |
| Complete Games | 5 | Leads: 231 |
| Shutouts | 1 | Leads: 61 |
| Saves | Leads: 180 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | 1,109 | Leads: 3,640 |
| Walks not scored | 582 | 1,390 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,318 | 3,971 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 108 | 380 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,514.2 | Leads: 4,782.2 |
| ERA | 3.14 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | Leads: 1.12 |
| K/9 | 6.59 | Leads: 6.85 |
| BB/9 | 3.46 | Leads: 2.62 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tom Seaver outpaces Tug McGraw 79,192 to 16,151 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,600 PIV per season to 850, across 22 seasons to 19. 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).
Tug McGraw
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Tom Seaver — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tom Seaver leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Tug McGraw owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tom Seaver. PIV agrees: Tom Seaver grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tug McGraw and Tom Seaver careers compare
Tug McGraw and Tom Seaver were active at the same time between 1967 and 1984. The two careers are close in length, 824 games for Tug McGraw and 656 for Tom Seaver across 19 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Tug McGraw are games (824 to 656) and saves (180 to 1). By rate, Tug McGraw struck out 6.59 and walked 3.46 per nine innings; Tom Seaver struck out 6.85 and walked 2.62. Their roles differ: Tug McGraw worked mostly in relief (39 starts in 824 games, 180 saves); Tom Seaver was mainly a starter (647 starts in 656 games).
Tug McGraw vs Tom Seaver: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tug McGraw or Tom Seaver?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tom Seaver leads Tug McGraw in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Tom Seaver, with 2.86 to Tug McGraw's 3.14.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Seaver, with 311 to Tug McGraw's 96.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Seaver, with 3,640 to Tug McGraw's 1,109.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tom Seaver, with 1.12 to Tug McGraw's 1.25.