Steve Rogers vs Nolan Ryan: Career Stats Comparison
Nolan Ryan has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Steve Rogers played 1973–1985 as a pitcher; Nolan Ryan played 1966–1993 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
Steve Rogers (1973–1985) and Nolan Ryan (1966–1993) — they debuted in the 1970s and the 1960s respectively and share 13 seasons. Steve Rogers finished with 158 wins and 1,621 strikeouts; Nolan Ryan finished with 324 wins and 5,714 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Nolan Ryan, in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Steve Rogers, with 3.17 to Nolan Ryan's 3.19.
- Who won more games? Nolan Ryan, with 324 to Steve Rogers's 158.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Nolan Ryan, with 5,714 to Steve Rogers's 1,621.
- Who had the better WHIP? Steve Rogers, with 1.23 to Nolan Ryan's 1.25.
- How many innings did each pitch? Steve Rogers 2,837.2, Nolan Ryan 5,386.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Nolan Ryan, with 61 to Steve Rogers's 37.
Steve Rogers
Nolan Ryan
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 | Steve Rogers | Nolan Ryan |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 158 | Leads: 324 |
| Losses not scored | 152 | 292 |
| Games not scored | 399 | 807 |
| Games Started not scored | 393 | 773 |
| Complete Games | 129 | Leads: 222 |
| Shutouts | 37 | Leads: 61 |
| Saves not scored | 2 | 3 |
| Strikeouts | 1,621 | Leads: 5,714 |
| Walks not scored | 876 | 2,795 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,619 | 3,923 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 151 | 321 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,837.2 | 5,386.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.17 | 3.19 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.23 | 1.25 |
| K/9 | 5.14 | Leads: 9.55 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.78 | 4.67 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Nolan Ryan outpaces Steve Rogers 111,223 to 44,265 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,119 PIV per season to 3,405, across 27 seasons to 13. 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).
Steve Rogers — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Nolan Ryan — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Nolan Ryan leads 5 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Steve Rogers leads 3: ERA, WHIP, and walks per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Nolan Ryan. PIV agrees: Nolan Ryan grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Steve Rogers and Nolan Ryan careers compare
The careers of Steve Rogers (1973–1985) and Nolan Ryan (1966–1993) overlapped from 1973 to 1985, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 399 games of Steve Rogers with 807 of Nolan Ryan across 13 and 27 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Steve Rogers are ERA (3.17 to 3.19), WHIP (1.23 to 1.25), and walks per nine (2.78 to 4.67). The per-nine rows read 5.14 strikeouts and 2.78 walks for Steve Rogers, 9.55 and 4.67 for Nolan Ryan.
Steve Rogers vs Nolan Ryan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Steve Rogers or Nolan Ryan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Nolan Ryan leads Steve Rogers in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Steve Rogers, with 3.17 to Nolan Ryan's 3.19.
- Who won more games?
- Nolan Ryan, with 324 to Steve Rogers's 158.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Nolan Ryan, with 5,714 to Steve Rogers's 1,621.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Steve Rogers, with 1.23 to Nolan Ryan's 1.25.