Gaylord Perry vs Johnny Podres: 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; Johnny Podres played 1953–1969 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 Johnny Podres (1953–1969) — 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; Johnny Podres finished with 148 wins and 1,435 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 Johnny Podres's 3.68.
- Who won more games? Gaylord Perry, with 314 to Johnny Podres's 148.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Gaylord Perry, with 3,534 to Johnny Podres's 1,435.
- Who had the better WHIP? Gaylord Perry, with 1.18 to Johnny Podres's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Gaylord Perry, with 5,350.1 to Johnny Podres's 2,265.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Gaylord Perry, with 53 to Johnny Podres's 24.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Gaylord Perry, with 78,312 career Pitcher PIV to Johnny Podres's 10,143.
Gaylord Perry
Johnny Podres
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 | Johnny Podres |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 314 | 148 |
| Losses not scored | 265 | 116 |
| Games | Leads: 777 | 440 |
| Games Started | Leads: 690 | 340 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 303 | 77 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 53 | 24 |
| Saves | 11 | 11 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,534 | 1,435 |
| Walks not scored | 1,379 | 743 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,938 | 2,239 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 399 | 242 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,350.1 | 2,265.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.11 | 3.68 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.94 | 5.70 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.32 | 2.95 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gaylord Perry outpaces Johnny Podres 78,312 to 10,143 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,132 PIV per season to 634, across 25 seasons to 16. 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)
Johnny Podres — 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 Johnny Podres owns no headline categories. 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 Johnny Podres careers compare
The careers of Gaylord Perry (1962–1983) and Johnny Podres (1953–1969) overlapped from 1962 to 1969, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 777 games of Gaylord Perry with 440 of Johnny Podres across 25 and 16 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Every scored category on the table goes to Gaylord Perry. The per-nine rows read 5.94 strikeouts and 2.32 walks for Gaylord Perry, 5.70 and 2.95 for Johnny Podres. Gaylord Perry was mainly a starter (690 starts in 777 games), and Johnny Podres was mainly a starter (340 starts in 440 games). Complete games (303 to 77) show how differently the two eras used starters.
Gaylord Perry vs Johnny Podres: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gaylord Perry or Johnny Podres?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gaylord Perry leads Johnny Podres in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Gaylord Perry, with 3.11 to Johnny Podres's 3.68.
- Who won more games?
- Gaylord Perry, with 314 to Johnny Podres's 148.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Gaylord Perry, with 3,534 to Johnny Podres's 1,435.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Gaylord Perry, with 1.18 to Johnny Podres's 1.32.