Gaylord Perry vs Gary Peters: Career Stats Comparison
Gaylord Perry has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Gaylord Perry played 1962–1983 as a pitcher; Gary Peters played 1959–1972 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
Gaylord Perry (1962–1983) and Gary Peters (1959–1972) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1950s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Gaylord Perry finished with 314 wins and 3,534 strikeouts; Gary Peters finished with 124 wins and 1,420 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Gaylord Perry, with 3.11 to Gary Peters's 3.25.
- Who won more games? Gaylord Perry, with 314 to Gary Peters's 124.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Gaylord Perry, with 3,534 to Gary Peters's 1,420.
- Who had the better WHIP? Gaylord Perry, with 1.18 to Gary Peters's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Gaylord Perry, with 5,350.1 to Gary Peters's 2,081.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Gaylord Perry, with 53 to Gary Peters's 23.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Gaylord Perry, with 78,312 career Pitcher PIV to Gary Peters's 13,100.
Gaylord Perry
Gary Peters
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 1960s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Gaylord Perry | Gary Peters |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 314 | 124 |
| Losses not scored | 265 | 103 |
| Games | Leads: 777 | 359 |
| Games Started | Leads: 690 | 286 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 303 | 79 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 53 | 23 |
| Saves | Leads: 11 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,534 | 1,420 |
| Walks not scored | 1,379 | 706 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,938 | 1,894 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 399 | 157 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,350.1 | 2,081.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.11 | 3.25 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.25 |
| K/9 | 5.94 | Leads: 6.14 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.32 | 3.05 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gaylord Perry outpaces Gary Peters 78,312 to 13,100 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,132 PIV per season to 936, across 25 seasons to 14. 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).
Gaylord Perry — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Gary Peters — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Gaylord Perry leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Gary Peters owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Gaylord Perry. PIV agrees: Gaylord Perry grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Gaylord Perry and Gary Peters careers compare
The careers of Gaylord Perry (1962–1983) and Gary Peters (1959–1972) overlapped from 1962 to 1972, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 777 games of Gaylord Perry with 359 of Gary Peters across 25 and 14 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Gary Peters are strikeouts per nine (6.14 to 5.94). By rate, Gaylord Perry struck out 5.94 and walked 2.32 per nine innings; Gary Peters struck out 6.14 and walked 3.05. Both had the same role: Gaylord Perry was mainly a starter (690 starts in 777 games); Gary Peters was mainly a starter (286 starts in 359 games).
Gaylord Perry vs Gary Peters: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gaylord Perry or Gary Peters?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gaylord Perry leads Gary Peters in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Gaylord Perry, with 3.11 to Gary Peters's 3.25.
- Who won more games?
- Gaylord Perry, with 314 to Gary Peters's 124.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Gaylord Perry, with 3,534 to Gary Peters's 1,420.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Gaylord Perry, with 1.18 to Gary Peters's 1.25.