Gaylord Perry vs Frank Tanana: 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; Frank Tanana played 1973–1993 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 Frank Tanana (1973–1993) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Gaylord Perry finished with 314 wins and 3,534 strikeouts; Frank Tanana finished with 240 wins and 2,773 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 Frank Tanana's 3.66.
- Who won more games? Gaylord Perry, with 314 to Frank Tanana's 240.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Gaylord Perry, with 3,534 to Frank Tanana's 2,773.
- Who had the better WHIP? Gaylord Perry, with 1.18 to Frank Tanana's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Gaylord Perry, with 5,350.1 to Frank Tanana's 4,188.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Gaylord Perry, with 53 to Frank Tanana's 34.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Gaylord Perry, with 78,312 career Pitcher PIV to Frank Tanana's 5,624.
Gaylord Perry
Frank Tanana
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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Gaylord Perry | Frank Tanana |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 314 | 240 |
| Losses not scored | 265 | 236 |
| Games | Leads: 777 | 638 |
| Games Started | Leads: 690 | 616 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 303 | 143 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 53 | 34 |
| Saves | Leads: 11 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,534 | 2,773 |
| Walks not scored | 1,379 | 1,255 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,938 | 4,063 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 399 | 448 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,350.1 | 4,188.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.11 | 3.66 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | 5.94 | Leads: 5.96 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.32 | 2.70 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gaylord Perry outpaces Frank Tanana 78,312 to 5,624 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,132 PIV per season to 245, across 25 seasons to 23. 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)
Frank Tanana — 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 Frank Tanana 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 Frank Tanana careers compare
The careers of Gaylord Perry (1962–1983) and Frank Tanana (1973–1993) overlapped from 1973 to 1983, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 777 games for Gaylord Perry and 638 for Frank Tanana across 25 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Frank Tanana are strikeouts per nine (5.96 to 5.94). The per-nine rows read 5.94 strikeouts and 2.32 walks for Gaylord Perry, 5.96 and 2.70 for Frank Tanana. Gaylord Perry was mainly a starter (690 starts in 777 games), and Frank Tanana was mainly a starter (616 starts in 638 games).
Gaylord Perry vs Frank Tanana: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gaylord Perry or Frank Tanana?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gaylord Perry leads Frank Tanana in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Gaylord Perry, with 3.11 to Frank Tanana's 3.66.
- Who won more games?
- Gaylord Perry, with 314 to Frank Tanana's 240.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Gaylord Perry, with 3,534 to Frank Tanana's 2,773.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Gaylord Perry, with 1.18 to Frank Tanana's 1.27.