Dwight Gooden vs David Wells: Career Stats Comparison
Dwight Gooden and David Wells are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Dwight Gooden played 1984–2000 as a pitcher; David Wells played 1987–2007 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
Dwight Gooden (1984–2000) and David Wells (1987–2007) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Dwight Gooden finished with 194 wins and 2,293 strikeouts; David Wells finished with 239 wins and 2,201 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Dwight Gooden, with 3.51 to David Wells's 4.13.
- Who won more games? David Wells, with 239 to Dwight Gooden's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Dwight Gooden, with 2,293 to David Wells's 2,201.
- Who had the better WHIP? Dwight Gooden, with 1.26 to David Wells's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? David Wells, with 3,439.0 to Dwight Gooden's 2,800.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Dwight Gooden, with 24 to David Wells's 12.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Dwight Gooden, with 55,535 career Pitcher PIV to David Wells's 31,301.
Dwight Gooden
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. 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 | Dwight Gooden | David Wells |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 194 | Leads: 239 |
| Losses not scored | 112 | 157 |
| Games | 430 | Leads: 660 |
| Games Started | 410 | Leads: 489 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 68 | 54 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 24 | 12 |
| Saves | 3 | Leads: 13 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,293 | 2,201 |
| Walks not scored | 954 | 719 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,564 | 3,635 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 210 | 407 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,800.2 | Leads: 3,439.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.51 | 4.13 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.26 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.37 | 5.76 |
| BB/9 | 3.07 | Leads: 1.88 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dwight Gooden outpaces David Wells 55,535 to 31,301 — driven by per-season impact — 3,085 PIV per season to 1,304 — rather than by longevity, since Dwight Gooden played 18 seasons to David Wells's 24. 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).
Dwight Gooden — 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, Dwight Gooden leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while David Wells owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dwight Gooden. PIV agrees: Dwight Gooden grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Dwight Gooden and David Wells careers compare
Dwight Gooden and David Wells were active at the same time between 1987 and 2000. David Wells has the far longer record, 660 games against 430 across 18 and 24 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The per-nine rows read 7.37 strikeouts and 3.07 walks for Dwight Gooden, 5.76 and 1.88 for David Wells. Dwight Gooden was mainly a starter (410 starts in 430 games), and David Wells was mainly a starter (489 starts in 660 games). Dwight Gooden allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.26 WHIP to David Wells's 1.27.
Dwight Gooden vs David Wells: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Dwight Gooden, with 3.51 to David Wells's 4.13.
- Who won more games?
- David Wells, with 239 to Dwight Gooden's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Dwight Gooden, with 2,293 to David Wells's 2,201.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Dwight Gooden, with 1.26 to David Wells's 1.27.