Gerrit Cole vs Greg Maddux: Career Stats Comparison

Gerrit Cole (2013–present) and Greg Maddux (1986–2008) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Gerrit Cole compiled 153 wins and 2,251 strikeouts; Greg Maddux put up 355 wins and 3,371 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Gerrit Cole

Pitcher · 2013–present
Wins
153
Losses
80
Strikeouts
2,251
ERA
3.18
WHIP
1.09
IP
1,954
View Gerrit Cole'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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.

Statistic Gerrit Cole Greg Maddux
Wins 153 355
Losses 80 227
Games 317 744
Games Started 317 740
Complete Games 8 109
Shutouts 5 35
Saves 0 0
Strikeouts 2,251 3,371
Walks 500 999
Hits Allowed 1,627 4,726
Home Runs Allowed 217 353
Innings Pitched 1,954 5,008
ERA 3.18 3.16
WHIP 1.09 1.14
K/9 10.37 6.06
BB/9 2.30 1.80

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux outpaces Gerrit Cole 133,509 to 50,909 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (5,340 vs 4,242 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Gerrit Cole
50,909
Career Pitcher PIV · 4,242 per season (12 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).

Gerrit Cole — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20192.50 ERA20-5, 326 K in 212 IP
20152.60 ERA19-8, 202 K in 208 IP
20232.63 ERA15-4, 222 K in 209 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 innings pitched, while Gerrit Cole owns WHIP and 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.

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