Tom Seaver vs Early Wynn: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Seaver has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Early Wynn played 1939–1963 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 Early Wynn (1939–1963) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1930s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Tom Seaver finished with 311 wins and 3,640 strikeouts; Early Wynn finished with 300 wins and 2,334 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 Early Wynn's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Tom Seaver, with 311 to Early Wynn's 300.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Seaver, with 3,640 to Early Wynn's 2,334.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tom Seaver, with 1.12 to Early Wynn's 1.33.
- Who pitched more innings? Tom Seaver, with 4,782.2 to Early Wynn's 4,564.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tom Seaver, with 61 to Early Wynn's 49.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tom Seaver, with 79,192 career Pitcher PIV to Early Wynn's 25,348.
Tom Seaver
Early Wynn
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 1960s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Tom Seaver | Early Wynn |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 311 | 300 |
| Losses not scored | 205 | 244 |
| Games | 656 | Leads: 691 |
| Games Started | Leads: 647 | 612 |
| Complete Games | 231 | Leads: 290 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 61 | 49 |
| Saves | 1 | Leads: 15 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,640 | 2,334 |
| Walks not scored | 1,390 | 1,775 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,971 | 4,291 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 380 | 338 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,782.2 | 4,564.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.86 | 3.54 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.12 | 1.33 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.85 | 4.60 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.62 | 3.50 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tom Seaver outpaces Early Wynn 79,192 to 25,348 — driven by per-season impact — 3,600 PIV per season to 1,102 — rather than by longevity, since Tom Seaver played 22 seasons to Early Wynn's 23. 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)
Early Wynn — 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 Early Wynn 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 Early Wynn careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Early Wynn's ended in 1963, and Tom Seaver debuted in 1967. The two careers are close in length, 656 games for Tom Seaver and 691 for Early Wynn across 22 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Early Wynn are games (691 to 656), complete games (290 to 231), and saves (15 to 1). The per-nine rows read 6.85 strikeouts and 2.62 walks for Tom Seaver, 4.60 and 3.50 for Early Wynn. Both had the same role: Tom Seaver was mainly a starter (647 starts in 656 games); Early Wynn was mainly a starter (612 starts in 691 games).
Tom Seaver vs Early Wynn: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tom Seaver or Early Wynn?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tom Seaver leads Early Wynn in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Tom Seaver, with 2.86 to Early Wynn's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Seaver, with 311 to Early Wynn's 300.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Seaver, with 3,640 to Early Wynn's 2,334.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tom Seaver, with 1.12 to Early Wynn's 1.33.