Kevin Brown vs Greg Maddux: Career Stats Comparison

Greg Maddux has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 11 statistical categories compared on this page. Kevin Brown played 1986–2005 as a pitcher; Greg Maddux played 1986–2008 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

Kevin Brown (1986–2005) and Greg Maddux (1986–2008) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Kevin Brown compiled 211 wins and 2,397 strikeouts; Greg Maddux put up 355 wins and 3,371 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Quick answer

  • Who had the better ERA? Greg Maddux, with 3.16 to Kevin Brown's 3.28.
  • Who won more games? Greg Maddux, with 355 to Kevin Brown's 211.
  • Who recorded more strikeouts? Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Kevin Brown's 2,397.
  • Who had the better WHIP? Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Kevin Brown's 1.22.
  • Who pitched more innings? Greg Maddux, with 5,008 to Kevin Brown's 3,256.
  • Who threw more shutouts? Greg Maddux, with 35 to Kevin Brown's 17.
  • Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Greg Maddux, with 133,509 career Pitcher PIV to Kevin Brown's 82,163.
Leads Greg Maddux 10 of 11 awarded categories
Pitcher PIV edge Greg Maddux +51,347
Read the verdict ↓

Kevin Brown

Pitcher · 1986–2005
Wins
211
Losses
144
Strikeouts
2,397
ERA
3.28
WHIP
1.22
IP
3,256
View Kevin Brown's full profile →

Greg Maddux

Pitcher · 1986–2008
Wins
355
Losses
227
Strikeouts
3,371
ERA
3.16
WHIP
1.14
IP
5,008
View Greg Maddux's full profile →

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. 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: compare them with the era in mind, or use the PIV card below, which is.

Kevin Brown vs Greg Maddux: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Kevin Brown Greg Maddux
Wins 211 Leads: 355
Losses 144 227
Games 486 Leads: 744
Games Started 476 Leads: 740
Complete Games 72 Leads: 109
Shutouts 17 Leads: 35
Saves 0 0
Strikeouts 2,397 Leads: 3,371
Walks 901 999
Hits Allowed 3,079 4,726
Home Runs Allowed 208 353
Innings Pitched 3,256 Leads: 5,008
ERA 3.28 Leads: 3.16
WHIP 1.22 Leads: 1.14
K/9 Leads: 6.62 6.06
BB/9 2.49 Leads: 1.80

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux outpaces Kevin Brown 133,509 to 82,163 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (5,340 vs 4,324 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Kevin Brown
82,163
Career Pitcher PIV · 4,324 per season (19 seasons)
Greg Maddux
133,509
Career Pitcher PIV · 5,340 per season (25 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).

Kevin Brown — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19961.89 ERA17-11, 159 K in 233 IP
19982.38 ERA18-7, 257 K in 257 IP
20032.39 ERA14-9, 185 K in 211 IP

Greg Maddux — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19941.56 ERA16-6, 156 K in 202 IP
19951.63 ERA19-2, 181 K in 209 IP
19922.18 ERA20-11, 199 K in 268 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Greg Maddux leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Kevin Brown owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Greg Maddux. PIV agrees: Greg Maddux grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

Related Matchups

Kevin Brown vs Greg Maddux: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Kevin Brown or Greg Maddux?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Greg Maddux leads Kevin Brown in 10 of 11 categories.
Who had the better ERA?
Greg Maddux, with 3.16 to Kevin Brown's 3.28.
Who won more games?
Greg Maddux, with 355 to Kevin Brown's 211.
Who recorded more strikeouts?
Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Kevin Brown's 2,397.
Who had the better WHIP?
Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Kevin Brown's 1.22.

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