Zack Greinke vs Felix Hernandez: Career Stats Comparison
Zack Greinke has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Zack Greinke played 2004–2023 as a pitcher; Felix Hernandez played 2005–2019 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
Zack Greinke (2004–2023) and Felix Hernandez (2005–2019) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Zack Greinke finished with 225 wins and 2,979 strikeouts; Felix Hernandez finished with 169 wins and 2,524 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Felix Hernandez, with 3.42 to Zack Greinke's 3.49.
- Who won more games? Zack Greinke, with 225 to Felix Hernandez's 169.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Zack Greinke, with 2,979 to Felix Hernandez's 2,524.
- Who had the better WHIP? Zack Greinke, with 1.17 to Felix Hernandez's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? Zack Greinke, with 3,389.1 to Felix Hernandez's 2,729.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Felix Hernandez, with 11 to Zack Greinke's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Zack Greinke, with 58,246 career Pitcher PIV to Felix Hernandez's 44,530.
Zack Greinke
Felix Hernandez
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 | Zack Greinke | Felix Hernandez |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 225 | 169 |
| Losses not scored | 156 | 136 |
| Games | Leads: 586 | 419 |
| Games Started | Leads: 541 | 418 |
| Complete Games | 17 | Leads: 25 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 11 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,979 | 2,524 |
| Walks not scored | 762 | 805 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,207 | 2,487 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 367 | 264 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,389.1 | 2,729.2 |
| ERA | 3.49 | Leads: 3.42 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.21 |
| K/9 | 7.91 | Leads: 8.32 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.02 | 2.65 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Zack Greinke leads Felix Hernandez 58,246 to 44,530 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Zack Greinke played 22 seasons to Felix Hernandez's 15, while Felix Hernandez carries the higher per-season figure (2,969 to 2,648). 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).
Zack Greinke — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Felix Hernandez — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Zack Greinke leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Felix Hernandez owns ERA and 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 Zack Greinke and Felix Hernandez careers compare
From 2005 through 2019, Zack Greinke and Felix Hernandez were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 586 games for Zack Greinke and 419 for Felix Hernandez across 22 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Felix Hernandez's edges on the table are complete games (25 to 17), shutouts (11 to 5), and ERA (3.42 to 3.49). By rate, Zack Greinke struck out 7.91 and walked 2.02 per nine innings; Felix Hernandez struck out 8.32 and walked 2.65. Both had the same role: Zack Greinke was mainly a starter (541 starts in 586 games); Felix Hernandez was mainly a starter (418 starts in 419 games).
Zack Greinke vs Felix Hernandez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Zack Greinke or Felix Hernandez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Zack Greinke leads Felix Hernandez in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Felix Hernandez, with 3.42 to Zack Greinke's 3.49.
- Who won more games?
- Zack Greinke, with 225 to Felix Hernandez's 169.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Zack Greinke, with 2,979 to Felix Hernandez's 2,524.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Zack Greinke, with 1.17 to Felix Hernandez's 1.21.