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In baseball’s long and storied history, there are numerous examples of brothers who excelled at the MLB level, e.g. Paul and Lloyd Waner, the DiMaggios, the Alous, the Alomars, etc. From the pitching side of things, the winningest brothers in MLB history are Phil and Joe Niekro (539 combined wins), followed closely by Gaylord and Jim Perry (529 wins); no other pair of brothers has even surpassed 400 total wins. Among these standout siblings, Phil Niekro and Gaylord Perry were the more illustrious half of each pairing – with 5,000+ career innings pitched, 300+ wins, and 3,000+ strikeouts apiece, each hurler spent more than two decades in MLB and was among the greatest workhorses of the 1960s and 1970s; these parallels thus make for an interesting comparison:
Who was better – Phil Niekro or Gaylord Perry?
The Beginning
Though they each played a variety of sports growing up with their siblings, Niekro and Perry both eventually chose baseball; however, it would be a relatively long road to MLB for each pitcher, as neither would really make their mark at the big league level until around their mid-20s.
Born and raised in Ohio, Niekro grew up together with future Hall of Fame basketball player John Havlicek; together with his younger brother Joe, who won 221 games as a major league pitcher in his own right, Phil learned to throw a knuckleball as a youngster and was signed in 1959 by the Milwaukee Braves. Following a number of years in the minor leagues, as well as a year of military service, he briefly made his big league debut in 1964 before sticking for good at age 26 in 1965; even then, Niekro pitched in a hybrid starter/reliever role, going 2-3 with a 2.89 ERA (122 ERA+, which is an advanced statistic that adjusts a pitcher’s ERA for both his ballpark and the league-wide ERA; 100 is average), 1.33 WHIP, and 49 strikeouts in 74.2 innings pitched.
Meanwhile, Perry grew up in North Carolina in a sporting family (as mentioned, his older brother Jim was also a major leaguer) and starred in football, basketball, and baseball while in high school, eventually foregoing numerous college basketball scholarships. Instead, he attended in-state Campbell University before signing with the San Francisco Giants in 1958; following a few seasons in the farm system, he was was called up in 1962 and posted a 3-1 record with a 5.23 ERA (74 ERA+), 1.58 WHIP, and 20 strikeouts in 43.0 innings pitched.
Career Comparison
Once they established themselves as starting pitchers, Niekro and Perry became two of the true workhorses of their era – with their unique pitching styles, each could be counted on to pitch 200+ (and often 300+) innings year in and year out and was an annual threat to lead the league in either wins and/or losses.
A knuckleballer, Niekro did not really come into his own until 1967 – at the age of 28, he was still a hybrid pitcher, but went 11-9 with a league-best 1.87 ERA (179 ERA+), a 1.06 WHIP, and 129 strikeouts in 207.0 innings pitched, the first of 14 consecutive 200-inning seasons (19x overall). This success led to him becoming a full-time starter and a couple of years later, he went a career-best 23-13 in 1969 with a 2.56 ERA (142 ERA+), a career-low 1.03 WHIP, and 193 strikeouts in 284.1 innings pitched to earn the first of five All-Star selections, finish second for NL Cy Young to Tom Seaver, and place ninth for NL MVP. However, the next year, Niekro regressed to a 12-18 record and a 4.27 ERA with 40 home runs allowed (the first of 4x leading the league in that ignominious category), and over the next few seasons, he hovered slightly above the .500 mark record-wise, though maintained an ERA around 3 and continued to eat up innings.
At an age when many pitchers are in decline and approaching retirement, a 35-year-old Niekro led the league in 1974 with a 20-13 record, a 2.38 ERA (159 ERA+), a 1.12 WHIP, and 195 strikeouts in a league-leading 302.1 innings pitched (one of 4x pacing the league with 300+ innings pitched) and was third for Cy Young, though surprisingly was not an All-Star; the All-Star oversight was rectified the following season, though he was only 15-15. Starting in 1977, Niekro would be the league’s loss leader for four straight years, though also was the leader in innings pitched for three of those seasons:
- 1977: 16-20 with a 4.03 ERA (111 ERA+), 1.45 WHIP, and a league-high and career-best 262 strikeouts in a league-high 330.1 innings pitched
- 1978: 19-18 with a 2.88 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.19 WHIP, and 248 strikeouts in a league-high 334.1 innings pitched; All-Star, sixth for NL Cy Young, and won the first of three straight Gold Gloves (and 5x overall)
- 1979: 21-20 with a 3.39 ERA (119 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP, and 208 strikeouts in a league-high and career-best 342.0 innings pitched; again sixth for Cy Young and tied with his brother Joe for the league lead in wins, though it was also the last time a pitcher has both won and lost 20 games in a season
As the 1980s rolled around and he entered his 40s, Niekro continued to pitch at a high level; in fact, his 121 wins post-40 remains a major league record. Notably, he had his last great season with the Braves in 1982 at age 43, going 17-4 with a 3.61 ERA (104 ERA+), a 1.27 WHIP, and 144 strikeouts in 234.1 innings pitched to place fifth for the Cy Young and win his fourth Gold Glove. Following a ho-hum 1983 season during which he did win his fifth and final Gold Glove, he was released by Atlanta and signed with the New York Yankees as a free agent – in his first season in pinstripes in 1984, Niekro earned his last All-Star selection by going 16-8 with a 3.09 ERA (123 ERA+), a 1.37 WHIP, and 136 strikeouts in 215.2 innings pitched, and became just the ninth pitcher in MLB history to reach 3,000 career strikeouts. With another 16 wins in 1985, he also reached 300 career wins as a Yankee before bouncing between the then-Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, and finally, back with the Braves; upon retiring at age 48 in 1987, Niekro was one of the oldest major league players ever and his 5,404.1 career innings pitched remains a record in the live-ball era.
Similarly, Perry first took on a full pitching load at the age of 25 in 1964, going 12-11 with a 2.75 ERA (129 ERA+), 1.08 WHIP, and 155 strikeouts in 206.1 innings pitched, the first of 17 200-inning seasons. In 1966, he racked up his first 20-win season and the first of five All-Star selections by going 21-8 for the Giants with a 2.99 ERA (124 ERA+), 1.10 WHIP, and 201 strikeouts in 255.2 innings pitched. Following a couple of seasons around .500, he would lead the league in innings pitched in back-to-back years with the first and second of five 300-inning campaigns:
- 1969: 19-14 record with a 2.49 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, and 233 strikeouts in 325.1 innings pitched
- 1970: a league-best 23-13 record with a 3.20 ERA (125 ERA+), 1.14 WHIP, and 214 strikeouts in 328.2 innings pitched; All-Star and was runner-up for NL Cy Young to Bob Gibson – with his brother Jim winning the AL Cy Young that year, this marked the only time in MLB history where two brothers finished 1-2 for the Cy Young, albeit in different leagues
Post the 1971 season, Perry was traded with Frank Duffy to the Indians for Sam McDowell; in his first season with Cleveland in 1972, Perry responded to his new surroundings by going 24-16 (a career-best for wins) with a career-low 1.92 ERA (168 ERA+) and 0.98 WHIP, plus 234 strikeouts in 342.2 innings pitched, in the process earning another All-Star selection, finishing sixth for AL MVP, and winning the AL Cy Young Award. Overall, he was a true ace with the Indians, finishing seventh for the Cy Young in 1973 with a career-best 238 strikeouts and 344.0 innings pitched despite a 19-19 record and then, earned another All-Star selection, 20-win season, and a fourth-place Cy Young showing in 1974 by going 21-13 with a 2.51 ERA (144 ERA+), 1.02 WHIP, and 216 strikeouts in 322.1 innings pitched. However, due to disagreements with Indians player/manager Frank Robinson, Perry was dealt midway through the 1975 season to the Texas Rangers for Jim Bibby, Jackie Brown, and Rick Waits – across two-and-a-half seasons in Texas, he was good, but not great.
Ahead of the 1978 season, a 39-year-old Perry was acquired by the San Diego Padres for Dave Tomlin and cash. Back in the NL and with a new team, he led the league with a 21-6 record and had a 2.73 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, and 154 strikeouts in 260.2 innings pitched to become the first pitcher in MLB history to win the Cy Young in both leagues; additionally, he became just the third pitcher to reach 3,000 career strikeouts (after Gibson and Walter Johnson), with seven more pitchers joining the illustrious club in the 1980s. As an encore, Perry earned a final All-Star selection in 1979 with a 12-11 record, 3.06 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, and 140 strikeouts in 232.2 innings pitched before demanding a trade back to the Rangers. While his wish was granted, the reunion was short-lived and he would bounce around between the Rangers, the Yankees, the Braves, the Seattle Mariners, and finally the Kansas City Royals during his 40s; during this time, he did reach 300 career wins with the Mariners in 1982, but was also ejected for the first time during a game for doctoring baseballs, though he had long been suspected of using the illegal spitball. In his final season in 1983 at age 44, Perry briefly became the all-time strikeout king (surpassing Johnson’s 3,509 career strikeouts), but would quickly be surpassed in turn by both Steve Carlton and Nolan Ryan.
On the whole, Niekro and Perry both played for well over 20 years across three decades (1960s, 1970s, and 1980s), each accumulating 5,000+ innings pitched. Though the former’s durability and longevity is unparalleled in the modern era of baseball and he won slightly more career games (along with more losses), the latter racked up more career strikeouts with better pitching ratios; moreover, on a season-by-season basis, though both pitchers had 13 seasons of at least 15 wins, Perry has the edge in 20-win seasons (5 vs. 2), as well as 200-strikeout campaigns (8x vs. 3x). Additionally, each pitcher made five All-Star Games and while Niekro also won an ERA title and five Gold Gloves, Perry has the pair of Cy Young Awards across both leagues. Despite these facts, though, Niekro actually holds the career edge in Wins Above Replacement at 95.9 to 90.0, perhaps a nod to his greater longevity and effectiveness later on in his career. As the better halves of the two winningest brother duos in MLB history (Phil’s brother Joe had 221 career wins for 539 combined wins, while Gaylord’s brother Jim won 215 games for a combined 529 victories) and members of the rare 300-win/3,000-strikeout club, Perry (1991) and Niekro (1997) are both members of the Hall of Fame; however, neither was a first-ballot choice as both were great “accumulators” rather than truly dominant pitchers, plus Perry has the stigma of being a cheater from using the spitball.
Regular Season Statistics
| Phil Niekro | Player | Gaylord Perry |
| 24 (1964-1987) | Seasons | 22 (1962-1983) |
| 864 | Games Played | 777 |
| 5,404.0 | Innings Pitched | 5,350.0 |
| 318-274 | W-L Record | 314-265 |
| 29 | Saves | 10 |
| 3.35 | ERA | 3.11 |
| 115 | ERA+ | 117 |
| 1.27 | WHIP | 1.18 |
| 3,342 | Strikeouts | 3,534 |
| 45 | Shutouts | 53 |
| 95.9 | Wins Above Replacement | 90.0 |
| 5x | All-Star Games | 5x |
| – | MVP | – |
| – | Cy Young | 2x |
| – | World Series Titles | – |
| 1x ERA, 5x Gold Glove | Other Awards | – |
| 1997 | Hall of Fame Induction | 1991 |
Source: Baseball-Reference.com
Though each workhorse pitcher played for more than two decades, neither Niekro nor Perry had much postseason success. On one hand, Niekro made the NLCS with the Braves on two occasions more than a decade apart (1969 and 1982), making one start each time; his 24 MLB seasons without appearing in the World Series is a record. On the other hand, Perry played in the playoffs exactly once (the 1971 NLCS with the Giants), going 1-1 with a 6.14 ERA in two starts (10 earned runs allowed in 14.2 innings pitched).
Playoff Statistics
| Phil Niekro | Player | Gaylord Perry |
| 2 | Games Played | 2 |
| 14.0 | Innings Pitched | 14.2 |
| 0-1 | W-L Record | 1-1 |
| – | Saves | – |
| 3.86 | ERA | 6.14 |
| 1.64 | WHIP | 1.50 |
| 9 | Strikeouts | 11 |
| – | Shutouts | – |
Source: Baseball-Reference.com
Every athlete goes through a natural career lifecycle, from starting off as a rookie to reaching peak years of performance and finally, declining into the inevitable retirement due to a combination of age and/or injury; though neither pitcher really became a workhorse starter until his mid to late 20s, both Niekro and Perry remained consistent and durable well into their late 30s and early 40s. For Hall of Fame caliber players across sports, I like to look at a concept I call a “decade of dominance.” The thinking behind this is that for most Hall of Fame type careers, there are roughly 10 great seasons that define an athlete (this idea is embodied in a sense by the NFL’s All-Decade teams), though due to injury or other factors, they might not be 10 consecutive years.
Decade of Dominance
| Phil Niekro | Player | Gaylord Perry |
| 1967-1969, 1971-1972, 1974, 1976, 1978-1979, 1982 | Decade of Dominance | 1966-1970, 1972-1975, 1978 |
| 405 | Games Played | 388 |
| 2,782.2 | Innings Pitched | 3,068.2 |
| 173-126 | W-L Record | 197-138 |
| 16 | Saves | 3 |
| 2.89 | ERA | 2.75 |
| 1.16 | WHIP | 1.11 |
| 1,767 | Strikeouts | 2,126 |
| 30 | Shutouts | 40 |
| 60.5 | Wins Above Replacement | 67.4 |
Source: Baseball-Reference.com
Although Niekro was an effective pitcher for a longer duration, Perry was more dominant in his prime – looking at their respective decades of dominance, Perry pitched more innings with better numbers across the board.
My Thoughts
As ageless wonders who seemingly pitched forever, Phil Niekro and Gaylord Perry exemplify the “accumulator” label, which often comes with a somewhat negative connotation; while it is true that neither was as dominant as some of the other 300+ win, 3,000+ strikeout pitchers of the era (e.g. Seaver, Carlton, and Ryan), availability is one of the best abilities and few pitchers were as consistently “available” as this duo. In comparing the pair and their very similar career numbers, I lean towards Perry for a couple of reasons – his overall career numbers were slightly better across the board, he was a little bit more consistent from year to year (for one thing, he does not have the ignominious distinction of being the league loss leader for four straight years like Niekro), and he was more dominant at his absolute peak, e.g. see the pair of Cy Youngs and the distinction of being the first to win the award in both leagues, a feat also accomplished since by Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, Roy Halladay, and Max Scherzer. Having said all of that, Niekro nevertheless has his own place in MLB history as the best knuckleball pitcher ever and the the stronger half of the winningest pitching brothers ever (at least in terms of wins; Gaylord Perry and his brother Jim are the only brothers to both win the Cy Young).
Thus, after weighing their careers against each other in terms of statistics, achievements, and impact, the winner of this faceoff is:
Gaylord Perry
As always, vote for your choice and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Further Reading
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