John Franco vs Kerry Wood: Career Stats Comparison
Kerry Wood has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). John Franco played 1984–2005 as a pitcher; Kerry Wood played 1998–2012 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
John Franco (1984–2005) and Kerry Wood (1998–2012) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. John Franco finished with 90 wins and 975 strikeouts; Kerry Wood finished with 86 wins and 1,582 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? John Franco, with 2.89 to Kerry Wood's 3.67.
- Who won more games? John Franco, with 90 to Kerry Wood's 86.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Kerry Wood, with 1,582 to John Franco's 975.
- Who had the better WHIP? Kerry Wood, with 1.27 to John Franco's 1.33.
- Who pitched more innings? Kerry Wood, with 1,380.0 to John Franco's 1,245.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Kerry Wood, with 5 to John Franco's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? John Franco, with 22,498 career Pitcher PIV to Kerry Wood's 20,852.
John Franco
Kerry Wood
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 1980s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | John Franco | Kerry Wood |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 90 | 86 |
| Losses not scored | 87 | 75 |
| Games | Leads: 1,119 | 446 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 178 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 11 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 5 |
| Saves | Leads: 424 | 63 |
| Strikeouts | 975 | Leads: 1,582 |
| Walks not scored | 495 | 666 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,166 | 1,083 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 81 | 148 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,245.2 | Leads: 1,380.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.89 | 3.67 |
| WHIP | 1.33 | Leads: 1.27 |
| K/9 | 7.04 | Leads: 10.32 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.58 | 4.34 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Franco edges Kerry Wood 22,498 to 20,852 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: John Franco played 21 seasons to Kerry Wood's 15, while Kerry Wood carries the higher per-season figure (1,390 to 1,071). 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).
John Franco
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Kerry Wood — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Kerry Wood leads in strikeouts, WHIP, K/9, and innings pitched, while John Franco owns wins and ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Kerry Wood. Note that PIV actually grades John Franco ahead, which means Kerry Wood's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the John Franco and Kerry Wood careers compare
The careers of John Franco (1984–2005) and Kerry Wood (1998–2012) overlapped from 1998 to 2005, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: John Franco appeared in 1,119 games to Kerry Wood's 446. By rate, John Franco struck out 7.04 and walked 3.58 per nine innings; Kerry Wood struck out 10.32 and walked 4.34. John Franco worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 1,119 games, 424 saves), while Kerry Wood split time between starting and relief (178 starts in 446 games). In WHIP, Kerry Wood's 1.27 beats John Franco's 1.33.
John Franco vs Kerry Wood: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John Franco or Kerry Wood?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Kerry Wood leads John Franco in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- John Franco, with 2.89 to Kerry Wood's 3.67.
- Who won more games?
- John Franco, with 90 to Kerry Wood's 86.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Kerry Wood, with 1,582 to John Franco's 975.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Kerry Wood, with 1.27 to John Franco's 1.33.