Gaylord Perry vs Bob Welch: Career Stats Comparison
Gaylord Perry has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Bob Welch played 1978–1994 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 Bob Welch (1978–1994) — 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; Bob Welch finished with 211 wins and 1,969 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 Bob Welch's 3.47.
- Who won more games? Gaylord Perry, with 314 to Bob Welch's 211.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Gaylord Perry, with 3,534 to Bob Welch's 1,969.
- Who had the better WHIP? Gaylord Perry, with 1.18 to Bob Welch's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Gaylord Perry, with 5,350.1 to Bob Welch's 3,092.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Gaylord Perry, with 53 to Bob Welch's 28.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Gaylord Perry, with 78,312 career Pitcher PIV to Bob Welch's 15,932.
Gaylord Perry
Bob Welch
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 | Bob Welch |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 314 | 211 |
| Losses not scored | 265 | 146 |
| Games | Leads: 777 | 506 |
| Games Started | Leads: 690 | 462 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 303 | 61 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 53 | 28 |
| Saves | Leads: 11 | 8 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,534 | 1,969 |
| Walks not scored | 1,379 | 1,034 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,938 | 2,894 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 399 | 267 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,350.1 | 3,092.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.11 | 3.47 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.94 | 5.73 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.32 | 3.01 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gaylord Perry outpaces Bob Welch 78,312 to 15,932 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,132 PIV per season to 937, across 25 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).
Gaylord Perry — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Bob Welch — 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 Bob Welch 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 Bob Welch careers compare
From 1978 through 1983, Gaylord Perry and Bob Welch were in the majors together. Gaylord Perry has the far longer record, 777 games against 506 across 25 and 17 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Gaylord Perry leads every scored row of the table. The per-nine rows read 5.94 strikeouts and 2.32 walks for Gaylord Perry, 5.73 and 3.01 for Bob Welch. Both had the same role: Gaylord Perry was mainly a starter (690 starts in 777 games); Bob Welch was mainly a starter (462 starts in 506 games). Complete games (303 to 61) show how differently the two eras used starters. In WHIP, Gaylord Perry's 1.18 beats Bob Welch's 1.27.
Gaylord Perry vs Bob Welch: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gaylord Perry or Bob Welch?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gaylord Perry leads Bob Welch in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Gaylord Perry, with 3.11 to Bob Welch's 3.47.
- Who won more games?
- Gaylord Perry, with 314 to Bob Welch's 211.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Gaylord Perry, with 3,534 to Bob Welch's 1,969.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Gaylord Perry, with 1.18 to Bob Welch's 1.27.