Tom Seaver vs Mel Stottlemyre: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Seaver has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Tom Seaver played 1967–1986 as a pitcher; Mel Stottlemyre played 1964–1974 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
Tom Seaver (1967–1986) and Mel Stottlemyre (1964–1974) — both came up during the 1960s, so the matchup is a direct one. Tom Seaver finished with 311 wins and 3,640 strikeouts; Mel Stottlemyre finished with 164 wins and 1,257 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Tom Seaver, with 2.86 to Mel Stottlemyre's 2.97.
- Who won more games? Tom Seaver, with 311 to Mel Stottlemyre's 164.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Seaver, with 3,640 to Mel Stottlemyre's 1,257.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tom Seaver, with 1.12 to Mel Stottlemyre's 1.22.
- Who pitched more innings? Tom Seaver, with 4,782.2 to Mel Stottlemyre's 2,661.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tom Seaver, with 61 to Mel Stottlemyre's 40.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tom Seaver, with 79,192 career Pitcher PIV to Mel Stottlemyre's 8,727.
Tom Seaver
Mel Stottlemyre
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Tom Seaver | Mel Stottlemyre |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 311 | 164 |
| Losses not scored | 205 | 139 |
| Games | Leads: 656 | 360 |
| Games Started | Leads: 647 | 356 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 231 | 152 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 61 | 40 |
| Saves | 1 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,640 | 1,257 |
| Walks not scored | 1,390 | 809 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,971 | 2,435 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 380 | 171 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,782.2 | 2,661.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.86 | 2.97 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.12 | 1.22 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.85 | 4.25 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.62 | 2.74 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tom Seaver outpaces Mel Stottlemyre 79,192 to 8,727 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,600 PIV per season to 793, across 22 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).
Tom Seaver — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Mel Stottlemyre — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tom Seaver leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Mel Stottlemyre owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but 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 Tom Seaver and Mel Stottlemyre careers compare
The careers of Tom Seaver (1967–1986) and Mel Stottlemyre (1964–1974) overlapped from 1967 to 1974, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 656 games of Tom Seaver with 360 of Mel Stottlemyre across 22 and 11 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Every scored category on the table goes to Tom Seaver. The per-nine rows read 6.85 strikeouts and 2.62 walks for Tom Seaver, 4.25 and 2.74 for Mel Stottlemyre. Tom Seaver was mainly a starter (647 starts in 656 games), and Mel Stottlemyre was mainly a starter (356 starts in 360 games). Tom Seaver allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.12 WHIP to Mel Stottlemyre's 1.22.
Tom Seaver vs Mel Stottlemyre: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tom Seaver or Mel Stottlemyre?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tom Seaver leads Mel Stottlemyre in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Tom Seaver, with 2.86 to Mel Stottlemyre's 2.97.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Seaver, with 311 to Mel Stottlemyre's 164.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Seaver, with 3,640 to Mel Stottlemyre's 1,257.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tom Seaver, with 1.12 to Mel Stottlemyre's 1.22.