J. R. Richard vs Mike Scott: Career Stats Comparison

J. R. Richard (1971–1980) and Mike Scott (1979–1991) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. J. R. Richard compiled 107 wins and 1,493 strikeouts; Mike Scott put up 124 wins and 1,469 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

J. R. Richard

Pitcher · 1971–1980
Wins
107
Losses
71
Strikeouts
1,493
ERA
3.15
WHIP
1.24
IP
1,606
View J. R. Richard's full profile →

Mike Scott

Pitcher · 1979–1991
Wins
124
Losses
108
Strikeouts
1,469
ERA
3.54
WHIP
1.20
IP
2,068
View Mike Scott's full profile →

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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.

Statistic J. R. Richard Mike Scott
Wins 107 124
Losses 71 108
Games 238 347
Games Started 221 319
Complete Games 76 45
Shutouts 19 22
Saves 0 3
Strikeouts 1,493 1,469
Walks 770 627
Hits Allowed 1,227 1,858
Home Runs Allowed 73 173
Innings Pitched 1,606 2,068
ERA 3.15 3.54
WHIP 1.24 1.20
K/9 8.37 6.39
BB/9 4.32 2.73

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), J. R. Richard outpaces Mike Scott 38,918 to 28,073 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,892 vs 2,159 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

J. R. Richard
38,918
Career Pitcher PIV · 3,892 per season (10 seasons)
Mike Scott
28,073
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,159 per season (13 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).

J. R. Richard — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19792.71 ERA18-13, 313 K in 292 IP
19762.75 ERA20-15, 214 K in 291 IP
19772.97 ERA18-12, 214 K in 267 IP

Mike Scott — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19862.22 ERA18-10, 306 K in 275 IP
19882.92 ERA14-8, 190 K in 218 IP
19893.10 ERA20-10, 172 K in 229 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, J. R. Richard leads in strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while Mike Scott owns wins, WHIP, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to J. R. Richard. PIV agrees: J. R. Richard grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

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