Tom Glavine vs Roy Oswalt: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Glavine 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). Tom Glavine played 1987–2008 as a pitcher; Roy Oswalt played 2001–2013 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
Tom Glavine (1987–2008) and Roy Oswalt (2001–2013) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Tom Glavine finished with 305 wins and 2,607 strikeouts; Roy Oswalt finished with 163 wins and 1,852 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Roy Oswalt, with 3.36 to Tom Glavine's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Tom Glavine, with 305 to Roy Oswalt's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Glavine, with 2,607 to Roy Oswalt's 1,852.
- Who had the better WHIP? Roy Oswalt, with 1.21 to Tom Glavine's 1.31.
- Who pitched more innings? Tom Glavine, with 4,413.1 to Roy Oswalt's 2,245.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tom Glavine, with 25 to Roy Oswalt's 8.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roy Oswalt, with 55,095 career Pitcher PIV to Tom Glavine's 40,421.
Tom Glavine
Roy Oswalt
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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Tom Glavine | Roy Oswalt |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 305 | 163 |
| Losses not scored | 203 | 102 |
| Games | Leads: 682 | 365 |
| Games Started | Leads: 682 | 341 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 56 | 20 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 25 | 8 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,607 | 1,852 |
| Walks not scored | 1,500 | 520 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,298 | 2,199 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 356 | 197 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,413.1 | 2,245.1 |
| ERA | 3.54 | Leads: 3.36 |
| WHIP | 1.31 | Leads: 1.21 |
| K/9 | 5.32 | Leads: 7.42 |
| BB/9 | 3.06 | Leads: 2.08 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roy Oswalt outpaces Tom Glavine 55,095 to 40,421 — driven by per-season impact — 3,935 PIV per season to 1,837 — rather than by longevity, since Roy Oswalt played 14 seasons to Tom Glavine's 22. 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).
Tom Glavine — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Roy Oswalt — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roy Oswalt leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Tom Glavine owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Roy Oswalt. PIV agrees: Roy Oswalt grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tom Glavine and Roy Oswalt careers compare
The careers of Tom Glavine (1987–2008) and Roy Oswalt (2001–2013) overlapped from 2001 to 2008, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Tom Glavine has the far longer record, 682 games against 365 across 22 and 14 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Roy Oswalt are ERA (3.36 to 3.54), WHIP (1.21 to 1.31), and strikeouts per nine (7.42 to 5.32). By rate, Tom Glavine struck out 5.32 and walked 3.06 per nine innings; Roy Oswalt struck out 7.42 and walked 2.08.
Tom Glavine vs Roy Oswalt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tom Glavine or Roy Oswalt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tom Glavine leads Roy Oswalt in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Roy Oswalt, with 3.36 to Tom Glavine's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Glavine, with 305 to Roy Oswalt's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Glavine, with 2,607 to Roy Oswalt's 1,852.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Roy Oswalt, with 1.21 to Tom Glavine's 1.31.