Jake Arrieta vs Max Scherzer: Career Stats Comparison
Max Scherzer has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jake Arrieta played 2010–2021 as a pitcher; Max Scherzer has played 2008–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
Jake Arrieta (2010–2021) and Max Scherzer (2008–present) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jake Arrieta finished with 115 wins and 1,433 strikeouts; Max Scherzer has 225 wins and 3,557 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Max Scherzer, with 3.29 to Jake Arrieta's 3.98.
- Who won more games? Max Scherzer, with 225 to Jake Arrieta's 115.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Max Scherzer, with 3,557 to Jake Arrieta's 1,433.
- Who had the better WHIP? Max Scherzer, with 1.09 to Jake Arrieta's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Max Scherzer, with 3,047.2 to Jake Arrieta's 1,612.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Max Scherzer, with 68,491 career Pitcher PIV to Jake Arrieta's 5,475.
Jake Arrieta
Max Scherzer
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 2010s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Max Scherzer is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Jake Arrieta | Max Scherzer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 115 | Leads: 225 |
| Losses not scored | 93 | 126 |
| Games | 285 | Leads: 501 |
| Games Started | 279 | Leads: 492 |
| Complete Games | 6 | Leads: 12 |
| Shutouts | 5 | 5 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,433 | Leads: 3,557 |
| Walks not scored | 571 | 814 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,450 | 2,511 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 181 | 369 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,612.1 | Leads: 3,047.2 |
| ERA | 3.98 | Leads: 3.29 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | Leads: 1.09 |
| K/9 | 8.00 | Leads: 10.50 |
| BB/9 | 3.19 | Leads: 2.40 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Max Scherzer outpaces Jake Arrieta 68,491 to 5,475 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,425 PIV per season to 391, across 20 seasons to 14. 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).
Jake Arrieta — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Max Scherzer — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Max Scherzer leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Jake Arrieta owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Max Scherzer. PIV agrees: Max Scherzer grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jake Arrieta and Max Scherzer careers compare
Jake Arrieta and Max Scherzer were active at the same time between 2010 and 2021. The table compares 285 games of Jake Arrieta with 501 of Max Scherzer across 14 and 20 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Every scored category on the table goes to Max Scherzer. The per-nine rows read 8.00 strikeouts and 3.19 walks for Jake Arrieta, 10.50 and 2.40 for Max Scherzer. Jake Arrieta was mainly a starter (279 starts in 285 games), and Max Scherzer was mainly a starter (492 starts in 501 games). Max Scherzer allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.09 WHIP to Jake Arrieta's 1.25. Because Max Scherzer is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Jake Arrieta vs Max Scherzer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jake Arrieta or Max Scherzer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Max Scherzer leads Jake Arrieta in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Max Scherzer, with 3.29 to Jake Arrieta's 3.98.
- Who won more games?
- Max Scherzer, with 225 to Jake Arrieta's 115.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Max Scherzer, with 3,557 to Jake Arrieta's 1,433.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Max Scherzer, with 1.09 to Jake Arrieta's 1.25.