Fernando Valenzuela vs Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Career Stats Comparison
Fernando Valenzuela has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Fernando Valenzuela played 1980–1997 as a pitcher; Yoshinobu Yamamoto has played 2024–present 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
Fernando Valenzuela (1980–1997) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2024–present) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Fernando Valenzuela finished with 173 wins and 2,074 strikeouts; Yoshinobu Yamamoto has 33 wins and 488 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with 2.61 to Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Fernando Valenzuela, with 173 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Fernando Valenzuela, with 2,074 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 488.
- Who had the better WHIP? Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with 0.97 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Fernando Valenzuela, with 2,930.0 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 448.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Fernando Valenzuela, with 31 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Fernando Valenzuela, with 30,102 career Pitcher PIV to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 8,844.
Fernando Valenzuela
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
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 1980s and the 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Fernando Valenzuela | Yoshinobu Yamamoto |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 173 | 33 |
| Losses not scored | 153 | 19 |
| Games | Leads: 453 | 76 |
| Games Started | Leads: 424 | 76 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 113 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 31 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,074 | 488 |
| Walks not scored | 1,151 | 123 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,718 | 310 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 226 | 41 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,930.0 | 448.2 |
| ERA | 3.54 | Leads: 2.61 |
| WHIP | 1.32 | Leads: 0.97 |
| K/9 | 6.37 | Leads: 9.79 |
| BB/9 | 3.54 | Leads: 2.47 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Fernando Valenzuela outpaces Yoshinobu Yamamoto 30,102 to 8,844 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Fernando Valenzuela played 18 seasons to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 2, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto carries the higher per-season figure (4,422 to 1,672). 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).
Fernando Valenzuela — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Yoshinobu Yamamoto — top 2 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Fernando Valenzuela leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Fernando Valenzuela. PIV agrees: Fernando Valenzuela grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Fernando Valenzuela and Yoshinobu Yamamoto careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Fernando Valenzuela's ended in 1997, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto debuted in 2024. The table compares 453 games of Fernando Valenzuela with 76 of Yoshinobu Yamamoto across 18 and 2 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Yoshinobu Yamamoto's edges on the table are ERA (2.61 to 3.54), WHIP (0.97 to 1.32), and strikeouts per nine (9.79 to 6.37). The per-nine rows read 6.37 strikeouts and 3.54 walks for Fernando Valenzuela, 9.79 and 2.47 for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Fernando Valenzuela was mainly a starter (424 starts in 453 games), and Yoshinobu Yamamoto was mainly a starter (76 starts in 76 games). Because Yoshinobu Yamamoto is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Fernando Valenzuela vs Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Fernando Valenzuela or Yoshinobu Yamamoto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fernando Valenzuela leads Yoshinobu Yamamoto in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with 2.61 to Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Fernando Valenzuela, with 173 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Fernando Valenzuela, with 2,074 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 488.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with 0.97 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.