Steve Rogers vs Tom Seaver: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Seaver has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; 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
Steve Rogers (1973–1985) and Tom Seaver (1967–1986) — they debuted in the 1970s and the 1960s respectively and share 13 seasons. Steve Rogers finished with 158 wins and 1,621 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 8 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Tom Seaver, with 2.86 to Steve Rogers's 3.17.
- Who won more games? Tom Seaver, with 311 to Steve Rogers's 158.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Seaver, with 3,640 to Steve Rogers's 1,621.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tom Seaver, with 1.12 to Steve Rogers's 1.23.
- How many innings did each pitch? Steve Rogers 2,837.2, Tom Seaver 4,782.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tom Seaver, with 61 to Steve Rogers's 37.
Steve Rogers
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 | Steve Rogers | Tom Seaver |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 158 | Leads: 311 |
| Losses not scored | 152 | 205 |
| Games not scored | 399 | 656 |
| Games Started not scored | 393 | 647 |
| Complete Games | 129 | Leads: 231 |
| Shutouts | 37 | Leads: 61 |
| Saves not scored | 2 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | 1,621 | Leads: 3,640 |
| Walks not scored | 876 | 1,390 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,619 | 3,971 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 151 | 380 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,837.2 | 4,782.2 |
| ERA | 3.17 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 1.12 |
| K/9 | 5.14 | Leads: 6.85 |
| BB/9 | 2.78 | Leads: 2.62 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tom Seaver outpaces Steve Rogers 79,192 to 44,265 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,960 PIV per season to 3,405, across 20 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)
Tom Seaver — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Tom Seaver leads 8 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Steve Rogers leads 0: no scored category. 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 Steve Rogers and Tom Seaver careers compare
Steve Rogers and Tom Seaver were active at the same time between 1973 and 1985. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Steve Rogers appeared in 399 games to Tom Seaver's 656. Every scored category on the table goes to Tom Seaver. The per-nine rows read 5.14 strikeouts and 2.78 walks for Steve Rogers, 6.85 and 2.62 for Tom Seaver. Steve Rogers was mainly a starter (393 starts in 399 games), and Tom Seaver was mainly a starter (647 starts in 656 games). In WHIP, Tom Seaver's 1.12 beats Steve Rogers's 1.23.
Steve Rogers vs Tom Seaver: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Steve Rogers or Tom Seaver?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tom Seaver leads Steve Rogers in 8 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Tom Seaver, with 2.86 to Steve Rogers's 3.17.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Seaver, with 311 to Steve Rogers's 158.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Seaver, with 3,640 to Steve Rogers's 1,621.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tom Seaver, with 1.12 to Steve Rogers's 1.23.