Zack Greinke vs Jon Lester: Career Stats Comparison
Zack Greinke has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Jon Lester played 2006–2021 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 Jon Lester (2006–2021) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Zack Greinke finished with 225 wins and 2,979 strikeouts; Jon Lester finished with 200 wins and 2,488 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 Jon Lester's 3.66.
- Who won more games? Zack Greinke, with 225 to Jon Lester's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Zack Greinke, with 2,979 to Jon Lester's 2,488.
- Who had the better WHIP? Zack Greinke, with 1.17 to Jon Lester's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Zack Greinke, with 3,389.1 to Jon Lester's 2,740.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Zack Greinke, with 5 to Jon Lester's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Zack Greinke, with 58,246 career Pitcher PIV to Jon Lester's 26,549.
Zack Greinke
Jon Lester
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 | Jon Lester |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 225 | 200 |
| Losses not scored | 156 | 117 |
| Games | Leads: 586 | 452 |
| Games Started | Leads: 541 | 451 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 17 | 15 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 5 | 4 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,979 | 2,488 |
| Walks not scored | 762 | 892 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,207 | 2,610 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 367 | 294 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,389.1 | 2,740.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.49 | 3.66 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.28 |
| K/9 | 7.91 | Leads: 8.17 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.02 | 2.93 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Zack Greinke outpaces Jon Lester 58,246 to 26,549 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,648 PIV per season to 1,475, across 22 seasons to 18. 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)
Jon Lester — 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 Jon Lester 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 Zack Greinke and Jon Lester careers compare
Zack Greinke and Jon Lester were active at the same time between 2006 and 2021. With 586 games against 452 across 22 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Jon Lester's edges on the table are strikeouts per nine (8.17 to 7.91). The per-nine rows read 7.91 strikeouts and 2.02 walks for Zack Greinke, 8.17 and 2.93 for Jon Lester. Both had the same role: Zack Greinke was mainly a starter (541 starts in 586 games); Jon Lester was mainly a starter (451 starts in 452 games). In WHIP, Zack Greinke's 1.17 beats Jon Lester's 1.28.
Zack Greinke vs Jon Lester: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Zack Greinke or Jon Lester?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Zack Greinke leads Jon Lester in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Zack Greinke, with 3.49 to Jon Lester's 3.66.
- Who won more games?
- Zack Greinke, with 225 to Jon Lester's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Zack Greinke, with 2,979 to Jon Lester's 2,488.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Zack Greinke, with 1.17 to Jon Lester's 1.28.