Rick Reuschel vs Fernando Valenzuela: Career Stats Comparison
Rick Reuschel has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Rick Reuschel played 1972–1991 as a pitcher; Fernando Valenzuela played 1980–1997 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
Rick Reuschel (1972–1991) and Fernando Valenzuela (1980–1997) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Rick Reuschel finished with 214 wins and 2,015 strikeouts; Fernando Valenzuela finished with 173 wins and 2,074 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Rick Reuschel, with 3.37 to Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Rick Reuschel, with 214 to Fernando Valenzuela's 173.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Fernando Valenzuela, with 2,074 to Rick Reuschel's 2,015.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rick Reuschel, with 1.27 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Rick Reuschel, with 3,548.1 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,930.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Fernando Valenzuela, with 31 to Rick Reuschel's 26.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Rick Reuschel, with 52,650 career Pitcher PIV to Fernando Valenzuela's 30,102.
Rick Reuschel
Fernando Valenzuela
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 1970s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rick Reuschel | Fernando Valenzuela |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 214 | 173 |
| Losses not scored | 191 | 153 |
| Games | Leads: 557 | 453 |
| Games Started | Leads: 529 | 424 |
| Complete Games | 102 | Leads: 113 |
| Shutouts | 26 | Leads: 31 |
| Saves | Leads: 5 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | 2,015 | Leads: 2,074 |
| Walks not scored | 935 | 1,151 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,588 | 2,718 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 221 | 226 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,548.1 | 2,930.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.37 | 3.54 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.27 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | 5.11 | Leads: 6.37 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.37 | 3.54 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rick Reuschel outpaces Fernando Valenzuela 52,650 to 30,102 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,507 PIV per season to 1,672, across 21 seasons to 18. 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).
Rick Reuschel — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Fernando Valenzuela — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rick Reuschel leads in wins, ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Fernando Valenzuela owns strikeouts and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rick Reuschel. PIV agrees: Rick Reuschel grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rick Reuschel and Fernando Valenzuela careers compare
The careers of Rick Reuschel (1972–1991) and Fernando Valenzuela (1980–1997) overlapped from 1980 to 1991, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 557 games for Rick Reuschel and 453 for Fernando Valenzuela across 21 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Fernando Valenzuela comes out ahead, it is in complete games (113 to 102), shutouts (31 to 26), and strikeouts (2,074 to 2,015). The per-nine rows read 5.11 strikeouts and 2.37 walks for Rick Reuschel, 6.37 and 3.54 for Fernando Valenzuela.
Rick Reuschel vs Fernando Valenzuela: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rick Reuschel or Fernando Valenzuela?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rick Reuschel leads Fernando Valenzuela in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rick Reuschel, with 3.37 to Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Rick Reuschel, with 214 to Fernando Valenzuela's 173.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Fernando Valenzuela, with 2,074 to Rick Reuschel's 2,015.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rick Reuschel, with 1.27 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.