Zack Greinke vs Johan Santana: Career Stats Comparison
Zack Greinke has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 11 statistical categories compared on this page. Zack Greinke has played 2004–present as a pitcher; Johan Santana played 2000–2012 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–present) and Johan Santana (2000–2012) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Zack Greinke compiled 225 wins and 2,979 strikeouts; Johan Santana put up 139 wins and 1,988 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Johan Santana, with 3.20 to Zack Greinke's 3.49.
- Who won more games? Zack Greinke, with 225 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Zack Greinke, with 2,979 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP? Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Zack Greinke's 1.17.
- Who pitched more innings? Zack Greinke, with 3,389 to Johan Santana's 2,025.
- Who threw more shutouts? Johan Santana, with 10 to Zack Greinke's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Zack Greinke, with 58,246 career Pitcher PIV to Johan Santana's 48,732.
Zack Greinke
Johan Santana
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. 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: compare them with the era in mind, or use the PIV card below, which is.
| Statistic | Zack Greinke | Johan Santana |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 225 | 139 |
| Losses | 156 | 78 |
| Games | Leads: 586 | 360 |
| Games Started | Leads: 541 | 284 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 17 | 15 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 10 |
| Saves | 1 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,979 | 1,988 |
| Walks | 762 | 567 |
| Hits Allowed | 3,207 | 1,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 367 | 220 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,389 | 2,025 |
| ERA | 3.49 | Leads: 3.20 |
| WHIP | 1.17 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 7.91 | Leads: 8.83 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.02 | 2.52 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Zack Greinke leads Johan Santana 58,246 to 48,732 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,648 vs 4,061 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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)
Johan Santana — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Zack Greinke leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Johan Santana owns ERA, WHIP, 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
Zack Greinke vs Johan Santana: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Zack Greinke or Johan Santana?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Zack Greinke leads Johan Santana in 7 of 11 categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Johan Santana, with 3.20 to Zack Greinke's 3.49.
- Who won more games?
- Zack Greinke, with 225 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Zack Greinke, with 2,979 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Zack Greinke's 1.17.