1962–1983 · P

Gaylord Perry

6' 4", 205 lbs·Lived to 84·Bats R / Throws R

Hall of Fame · 19912×Cy Young AwardAll-Star

The Almanac's Take

Perry became the first pitcher to win Cy Young Awards in both leagues, capturing the honor with Cleveland in 1972 and San Diego in 1978. That 1972 campaign showcased his durability — he threw 342.2 innings with a 1.92 ERA and 24 wins, anchoring a mediocre Indians squad. His 314 career victories place him 15th all-time, built on exceptional longevity and an uncanny ability to reinvent himself.

The spitball allegations followed Perry throughout his career, but his real weapon was location and changing speeds. He pitched effectively into his mid-40s, throwing over 300 innings four times and maintaining an ERA+ of 115 across 22 seasons. Perry's 3,534 strikeouts ranked fifth all-time at retirement, a testament to his command and competitiveness on baseball's biggest stages.

Career Highs

1.92

Best ERA · 1972

Most W · 1972

238

Most K · 1973

0.978

Best WHIP · 1972

Career Arc · OPS

14 seasons

Career Arc · ERA

22 seasons

Statistical Comps

Sandy Alcantara

98%

2022 season

K/9 8.2 · BB/9 2.0 · HR/9 0.63 · SP · FB 97.8 mph · Whiff% 23

Zack Wheeler

98%

2020 season

K/9 6.7 · BB/9 2.0 · HR/9 0.38 · SP · FB 96.8 mph · Whiff% 21

Tyler Anderson

97%

2022 season

K/9 7.0 · BB/9 1.7 · HR/9 0.71 · SP · FB 90.5 mph · Whiff% 23

Career · Hitting

22 seasons

Year	Team	G	AB	HR	RBI	AVG	OPS	OPS+
1962	SF	13	13	0	1	.231	.462	—
1963	SF	32	18	0	0	.222	.500	—
1964	SF	46	56	0	3	.054	.156	—
1965	SF	49	64	0	2	.156	.350	—
1966	SF	36	86	0	2	.186	.393	—
1967	SF	42	91	0	2	.143	.297	—
1968	SF	39	97	0	3	.113	.245	—
1969	SF	40	117	1	2	.120	.310	—
1970	SF	41	120	1	7	.117	.290	41
1971	SF	38	98	1	4	.102	.272	40
1972	CLE	41	110	1	9	.155	.397	60
1973	CLE	41	0	0	0	—	—	—
1974	CLE	37	0	0	0	—	—	—
1975	CLE	37	0	0	0	—	—	—
1976	TEX	32	0	0	0	—	—	—
1977	TEX	34	0	0	0	—	—	—
1978	SD	37	87	0	3	.092	.227	32
1979	SD	32	71	1	2	.085	.265	36
1980	TEX	34	0	0	0	—	—	—
1981	ATL	24	48	1	7	.250	.619	90
1982	SEA	32	0	0	0	—	—	—
1983	SEA	30	0	0	0	—	—	—
Career		787	1076	6	47	.131	—	—

Career · Pitching

22 seasons

Year	Team	G	IP	W	L	ERA	ERA+	SO	WHIP
1962	SF	13	43.0	3	1	5.23	76	20	1.581
1963	SF	31	76.0	1	6	4.03	86	52	1.487
1964	SF	44	206.3	12	11	2.75	130	155	1.076
1965	SF	47	195.7	8	12	4.19	84	170	1.349
1966	SF	36	255.7	21	8	2.99	118	201	1.103
1967	SF	39	293.0	15	17	2.61	126	230	1.075
1968	SF	39	291.0	16	15	2.44	122	173	1.027
1969	SF	40	325.3	19	14	2.49	145	233	1.171
1970	SF	41	328.7	23	13	3.20	121	214	1.144
1971	SF	37	280.0	16	12	2.76	125	158	1.150
1972	CLE	41	342.7	24	16	1.92	170	234	0.978
1973	CLE	41	344.0	19	19	3.38	111	238	1.250
1974	CLE	37	322.3	21	13	2.51	144	216	1.021
1975	TEX	37	305.7	18	17	3.24	114	233	1.135
1976	TEX	32	250.3	15	14	3.24	108	143	1.134
1977	TEX	34	238.0	15	12	3.37	118	177	1.239
1978	SD	37	260.7	21	6	2.73	135	154	1.178
1979	SD	32	232.7	12	11	3.06	130	140	1.255
1980	TEX	34	205.7	10	13	3.68	104	135	1.400
1981	ATL	23	150.7	8	9	3.94	91	60	1.367
1982	SEA	32	216.7	10	12	4.40	88	116	1.380
1983	SEA	30	186.3	7	14	4.64	83	82	1.411
Career		777	5350.5	314	265	—	—	3534	—

Ask The Almanac about Gaylord Perry.

Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.

Start a conversation →