Dave Righetti vs Todd Worrell: Career Stats Comparison
Dave Righetti has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Dave Righetti played 1979–1995 as a pitcher; Todd Worrell played 1985–1997 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
Dave Righetti (1979–1995) and Todd Worrell (1985–1997) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Dave Righetti finished with 82 wins and 1,112 strikeouts; Todd Worrell finished with 50 wins and 628 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Todd Worrell, with 3.09 to Dave Righetti's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Dave Righetti, with 82 to Todd Worrell's 50.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Dave Righetti, with 1,112 to Todd Worrell's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP? Todd Worrell, with 1.23 to Dave Righetti's 1.34.
- Who pitched more innings? Dave Righetti, with 1,403.2 to Todd Worrell's 693.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Dave Righetti, with 2 to Todd Worrell's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Dave Righetti, with 20,202 career Pitcher PIV to Todd Worrell's 12,459.
Dave Righetti
Todd Worrell
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 | Dave Righetti | Todd Worrell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 82 | 50 |
| Losses not scored | 79 | 52 |
| Games | Leads: 718 | 617 |
| Games Started | Leads: 89 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 13 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Saves | 252 | Leads: 256 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,112 | 628 |
| Walks not scored | 591 | 247 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,287 | 608 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 95 | 65 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,403.2 | 693.2 |
| ERA | 3.46 | Leads: 3.09 |
| WHIP | 1.34 | Leads: 1.23 |
| K/9 | 7.13 | Leads: 8.15 |
| BB/9 | 3.79 | Leads: 3.20 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dave Righetti outpaces Todd Worrell 20,202 to 12,459 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,188 PIV per season to 1,133, across 17 seasons to 11. 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).
Dave Righetti — top 2 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Todd Worrell
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dave Righetti leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Todd Worrell owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dave Righetti. PIV agrees: Dave Righetti grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Dave Righetti and Todd Worrell careers compare
Dave Righetti and Todd Worrell were active at the same time between 1985 and 1995. With 718 games against 617 across 17 and 11 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The per-nine rows read 7.13 strikeouts and 3.79 walks for Dave Righetti, 8.15 and 3.20 for Todd Worrell. Both had the same role: Dave Righetti worked mostly in relief (89 starts in 718 games, 252 saves); Todd Worrell worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 617 games, 256 saves). In WHIP, Todd Worrell's 1.23 beats Dave Righetti's 1.34. Only Dave Righetti has a season on the peak list; Todd Worrell never reached the qualifying workload.
Dave Righetti vs Todd Worrell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dave Righetti or Todd Worrell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Righetti leads Todd Worrell in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Todd Worrell, with 3.09 to Dave Righetti's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Dave Righetti, with 82 to Todd Worrell's 50.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Dave Righetti, with 1,112 to Todd Worrell's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Todd Worrell, with 1.23 to Dave Righetti's 1.34.