J. R. Richard vs Tom Seaver: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Seaver has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). J. R. Richard played 1971–1980 as a pitcher; Tom Seaver played 1967–1986 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
J. R. Richard (1971–1980) and Tom Seaver (1967–1986) — they debuted in the 1970s and the 1960s respectively and share 10 seasons. J. R. Richard finished with 107 wins and 1,493 strikeouts; Tom Seaver finished with 311 wins and 3,640 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Tom Seaver, in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Tom Seaver, with 2.86 to J. R. Richard's 3.15.
- Who won more games? Tom Seaver, with 311 to J. R. Richard's 107.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Seaver, with 3,640 to J. R. Richard's 1,493.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tom Seaver, with 1.12 to J. R. Richard's 1.24.
- How many innings did each pitch? J. R. Richard 1,606.0, Tom Seaver 4,782.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tom Seaver, with 61 to J. R. Richard's 19.
J. R. Richard
Tom Seaver
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | J. R. Richard | Tom Seaver |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 107 | Leads: 311 |
| Losses not scored | 71 | 205 |
| Games not scored | 238 | 656 |
| Games Started not scored | 221 | 647 |
| Complete Games | 76 | Leads: 231 |
| Shutouts | 19 | Leads: 61 |
| Saves not scored | 0 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | 1,493 | Leads: 3,640 |
| Walks not scored | 770 | 1,390 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,227 | 3,971 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 73 | 380 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 1,606.0 | 4,782.2 |
| ERA | 3.15 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | 1.24 | Leads: 1.12 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.37 | 6.85 |
| BB/9 | 4.32 | Leads: 2.62 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tom Seaver outpaces J. R. Richard 79,192 to 38,918 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,960 PIV per season to 3,892, across 20 seasons to 10. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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)
Tom Seaver — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Tom Seaver leads 7 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. J. R. Richard leads 1: strikeouts per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tom Seaver. PIV agrees: Tom Seaver grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the J. R. Richard and Tom Seaver careers compare
The careers of J. R. Richard (1971–1980) and Tom Seaver (1967–1986) overlapped from 1971 to 1980, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Tom Seaver has the far longer record, 656 games against 238 across 10 and 20 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where J. R. Richard comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (8.37 to 6.85). By rate, J. R. Richard struck out 8.37 and walked 4.32 per nine innings; Tom Seaver struck out 6.85 and walked 2.62. Both had the same role: J. R. Richard was mainly a starter (221 starts in 238 games); Tom Seaver was mainly a starter (647 starts in 656 games).
J. R. Richard vs Tom Seaver: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, J. R. Richard or Tom Seaver?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tom Seaver leads J. R. Richard in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Tom Seaver, with 2.86 to J. R. Richard's 3.15.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Seaver, with 311 to J. R. Richard's 107.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Seaver, with 3,640 to J. R. Richard's 1,493.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tom Seaver, with 1.12 to J. R. Richard's 1.24.