John Burkett vs David Wells: Career Stats Comparison
John Burkett (1987–2003) and David Wells (1987–2007) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. John Burkett compiled 166 wins and 1,766 strikeouts; David Wells put up 239 wins and 2,201 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
John Burkett
David Wells
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | John Burkett | David Wells |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 166 | 239 |
| Losses | 136 | 157 |
| Games | 445 | 660 |
| Games Started | 423 | 489 |
| Complete Games | 21 | 54 |
| Shutouts | 6 | 12 |
| Saves | 1 | 13 |
| Strikeouts | 1,766 | 2,201 |
| Walks | 700 | 719 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,866 | 3,635 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 257 | 407 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,648 | 3,439 |
| ERA | 4.31 | 4.13 |
| WHIP | 1.35 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | 6.00 | 5.76 |
| BB/9 | 2.38 | 1.88 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Burkett edges David Wells 32,698 to 31,301 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,044 vs 1,304 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
John Burkett — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
David Wells — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Wells leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while John Burkett owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Wells. Note that PIV actually grades John Burkett ahead, which means David Wells's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.