Sonny Gray vs Adam Wainwright: Career Stats Comparison
Adam Wainwright has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Adam Wainwright played 2005–2023 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 Adam Wainwright (2005–2023) — 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; Adam Wainwright finished with 200 wins and 2,202 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Sonny Gray, with 3.51 to Adam Wainwright's 3.53.
- Who won more games? Adam Wainwright, with 200 to Sonny Gray's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Adam Wainwright, with 2,202 to Sonny Gray's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP? Sonny Gray, with 1.19 to Adam Wainwright's 1.24.
- Who pitched more innings? Adam Wainwright, with 2,668.1 to Sonny Gray's 2,087.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Adam Wainwright, with 11 to Sonny Gray's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Adam Wainwright, with 44,617 career Pitcher PIV to Sonny Gray's 31,195.
Sonny Gray
Adam Wainwright
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 | Adam Wainwright |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 143 | Leads: 200 |
| Losses not scored | 107 | 128 |
| Games | 368 | Leads: 478 |
| Games Started | 359 | Leads: 411 |
| Complete Games | 7 | Leads: 28 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 11 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 3 |
| Strikeouts | 2,074 | Leads: 2,202 |
| Walks not scored | 667 | 736 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,823 | 2,577 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 208 | 233 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,087.0 | Leads: 2,668.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.51 | 3.53 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.19 | 1.24 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.94 | 7.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.88 | Leads: 2.48 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Adam Wainwright outpaces Sonny Gray 44,617 to 31,195 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,479 PIV per season to 2,228, across 18 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)
Adam Wainwright — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Adam Wainwright leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Sonny Gray owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Adam Wainwright. PIV agrees: Adam Wainwright 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 Adam Wainwright careers compare
The careers of Sonny Gray (2013–present) and Adam Wainwright (2005–2023) overlapped from 2013 to 2023, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 368 games for Sonny Gray and 478 for Adam Wainwright across 14 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Sonny Gray comes out ahead, it is in ERA (3.51 to 3.53), WHIP (1.19 to 1.24), and strikeouts per nine (8.94 to 7.43). By rate, Sonny Gray struck out 8.94 and walked 2.88 per nine innings; Adam Wainwright struck out 7.43 and walked 2.48. Sonny Gray's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Sonny Gray vs Adam Wainwright: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sonny Gray or Adam Wainwright?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Adam Wainwright leads Sonny Gray in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Sonny Gray, with 3.51 to Adam Wainwright's 3.53.
- Who won more games?
- Adam Wainwright, with 200 to Sonny Gray's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Adam Wainwright, with 2,202 to Sonny Gray's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Sonny Gray, with 1.19 to Adam Wainwright's 1.24.