Sonny Gray vs Zack Greinke: Career Stats Comparison
Zack Greinke has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Sonny Gray has played 2013–present as a pitcher; Zack Greinke played 2004–2023 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
Sonny Gray (2013–present) and Zack Greinke (2004–2023) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Sonny Gray has 143 wins and 2,074 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Zack Greinke finished with 225 wins and 2,979 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Zack Greinke, with 3.49 to Sonny Gray's 3.51.
- Who won more games? Zack Greinke, with 225 to Sonny Gray's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Zack Greinke, with 2,979 to Sonny Gray's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP? Zack Greinke, with 1.17 to Sonny Gray's 1.19.
- Who pitched more innings? Zack Greinke, with 3,389.1 to Sonny Gray's 2,087.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Zack Greinke, with 58,246 career Pitcher PIV to Sonny Gray's 31,195.
Sonny Gray
Zack Greinke
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 2010s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Sonny Gray is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Sonny Gray | Zack Greinke |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 143 | Leads: 225 |
| Losses not scored | 107 | 156 |
| Games | 368 | Leads: 586 |
| Games Started | 359 | Leads: 541 |
| Complete Games | 7 | Leads: 17 |
| Shutouts | 5 | 5 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Strikeouts | 2,074 | Leads: 2,979 |
| Walks not scored | 667 | 762 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,823 | 3,207 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 208 | 367 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,087.0 | Leads: 3,389.1 |
| ERA | 3.51 | Leads: 3.49 |
| WHIP | 1.19 | Leads: 1.17 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.94 | 7.91 |
| BB/9 | 2.88 | Leads: 2.02 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Zack Greinke outpaces Sonny Gray 58,246 to 31,195 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,648 PIV per season to 2,228, across 22 seasons to 14. 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).
Sonny Gray — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Zack Greinke — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Zack Greinke leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Sonny Gray owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Zack Greinke. PIV agrees: Zack Greinke grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Sonny Gray and Zack Greinke careers compare
Sonny Gray and Zack Greinke were active at the same time between 2013 and 2023. Zack Greinke has the far longer record, 586 games against 368 across 14 and 22 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Sonny Gray comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (8.94 to 7.91). The per-nine rows read 8.94 strikeouts and 2.88 walks for Sonny Gray, 7.91 and 2.02 for Zack Greinke. Both had the same role: Sonny Gray was mainly a starter (359 starts in 368 games); Zack Greinke was mainly a starter (541 starts in 586 games). In WHIP, Zack Greinke's 1.17 beats Sonny Gray's 1.19. Sonny Gray's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Sonny Gray vs Zack Greinke: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sonny Gray or Zack Greinke?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Zack Greinke leads Sonny Gray in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Zack Greinke, with 3.49 to Sonny Gray's 3.51.
- Who won more games?
- Zack Greinke, with 225 to Sonny Gray's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Zack Greinke, with 2,979 to Sonny Gray's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Zack Greinke, with 1.17 to Sonny Gray's 1.19.