Alejandro Peña vs Dave Righetti: Career Stats Comparison
Dave Righetti has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Alejandro Peña played 1981–1996 as a pitcher; Dave Righetti played 1979–1995 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
Alejandro Peña (1981–1996) and Dave Righetti (1979–1995) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Alejandro Peña finished with 56 wins and 839 strikeouts; Dave Righetti finished with 82 wins and 1,112 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Alejandro Peña, with 3.11 to Dave Righetti's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Dave Righetti, with 82 to Alejandro Peña's 56.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Dave Righetti, with 1,112 to Alejandro Peña's 839.
- Who had the better WHIP? Alejandro Peña, with 1.22 to Dave Righetti's 1.34.
- Who pitched more innings? Dave Righetti, with 1,403.2 to Alejandro Peña's 1,057.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Alejandro Peña, with 7 to Dave Righetti's 2.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Alejandro Peña, with 22,404 career Pitcher PIV to Dave Righetti's 20,202.
Alejandro Peña
Dave Righetti
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 1980s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Alejandro Peña | Dave Righetti |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 56 | Leads: 82 |
| Losses not scored | 52 | 79 |
| Games | 503 | Leads: 718 |
| Games Started | 72 | Leads: 89 |
| Complete Games | 12 | Leads: 13 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 7 | 2 |
| Saves | 74 | Leads: 252 |
| Strikeouts | 839 | Leads: 1,112 |
| Walks not scored | 331 | 591 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 959 | 1,287 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 75 | 95 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,057.2 | Leads: 1,403.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.11 | 3.46 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.22 | 1.34 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.14 | 7.13 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.82 | 3.79 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Alejandro Peña leads Dave Righetti 22,404 to 20,202 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,245 PIV per season to 1,188, across 18 seasons to 17. 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).
Alejandro Peña — top 2 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Dave Righetti — top 2 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Alejandro Peña leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Dave Righetti owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Alejandro Peña. PIV agrees: Alejandro Peña grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Alejandro Peña and Dave Righetti careers compare
Alejandro Peña and Dave Righetti were active at the same time between 1981 and 1995. With 503 games against 718 across 18 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. By rate, Alejandro Peña struck out 7.14 and walked 2.82 per nine innings; Dave Righetti struck out 7.13 and walked 3.79. Alejandro Peña worked mostly in relief (72 starts in 503 games, 74 saves), and Dave Righetti worked mostly in relief (89 starts in 718 games, 252 saves). In WHIP, Alejandro Peña's 1.22 beats Dave Righetti's 1.34. Alejandro Peña owns the better peak by ERA: 2.48 ERA in 1984 for Alejandro Peña against 3.44 ERA in 1983 for Dave Righetti.
Alejandro Peña vs Dave Righetti: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Alejandro Peña or Dave Righetti?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Righetti leads Alejandro Peña in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Alejandro Peña, with 3.11 to Dave Righetti's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Dave Righetti, with 82 to Alejandro Peña's 56.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Dave Righetti, with 1,112 to Alejandro Peña's 839.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Alejandro Peña, with 1.22 to Dave Righetti's 1.34.