Doug Drabek vs Greg Maddux: Career Stats Comparison
Greg Maddux has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Doug Drabek played 1986–1998 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
Doug Drabek (1986–1998) and Greg Maddux (1986–2008) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Doug Drabek finished with 155 wins and 1,594 strikeouts; Greg Maddux finished with 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 Doug Drabek's 3.73.
- Who won more games? Greg Maddux, with 355 to Doug Drabek's 155.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Doug Drabek's 1,594.
- Who had the better WHIP? Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Doug Drabek's 1.24.
- Who pitched more innings? Greg Maddux, with 5,008.1 to Doug Drabek's 2,535.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Greg Maddux, with 35 to Doug Drabek's 21.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Greg Maddux, with 133,509 career Pitcher PIV to Doug Drabek's 18,199.
Doug Drabek
Greg Maddux
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Doug Drabek | Greg Maddux |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 155 | Leads: 355 |
| Losses not scored | 134 | 227 |
| Games | 398 | Leads: 744 |
| Games Started | 387 | Leads: 740 |
| Complete Games | 53 | Leads: 109 |
| Shutouts | 21 | Leads: 35 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,594 | Leads: 3,371 |
| Walks not scored | 704 | 999 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,448 | 4,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 246 | 353 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,535.0 | Leads: 5,008.1 |
| ERA | 3.73 | Leads: 3.16 |
| WHIP | 1.24 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.66 | Leads: 6.06 |
| BB/9 | 2.50 | Leads: 1.80 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux outpaces Doug Drabek 133,509 to 18,199 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,340 PIV per season to 1,400, across 25 seasons to 13. 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).
Doug Drabek — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Greg Maddux — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Greg Maddux leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Doug Drabek owns no headline categories. 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
How the Doug Drabek and Greg Maddux careers compare
Doug Drabek and Greg Maddux were active at the same time between 1986 and 1998. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Doug Drabek appeared in 398 games to Greg Maddux's 744. Greg Maddux leads every scored row of the table. The per-nine rows read 5.66 strikeouts and 2.50 walks for Doug Drabek, 6.06 and 1.80 for Greg Maddux. Doug Drabek was mainly a starter (387 starts in 398 games), and Greg Maddux was mainly a starter (740 starts in 744 games). Greg Maddux allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.14 WHIP to Doug Drabek's 1.24.
Doug Drabek vs Greg Maddux: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Doug Drabek or Greg Maddux?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Greg Maddux leads Doug Drabek in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Greg Maddux, with 3.16 to Doug Drabek's 3.73.
- Who won more games?
- Greg Maddux, with 355 to Doug Drabek's 155.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Doug Drabek's 1,594.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Doug Drabek's 1.24.