Zack Greinke vs Johan Santana: Career Stats Comparison
Zack Greinke and Johan Santana are close to even, splitting the 8 scored categories on this page 4–4 (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Zack Greinke played 2004–2023 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 (2004–2023) and Johan Santana (2000–2012) — both debuted in the 2000s. Zack Greinke finished with 225 wins and 2,979 strikeouts; Johan Santana finished with 139 wins and 1,988 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Neither — they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- 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.
- How many innings did each pitch? Zack Greinke 3,389.1, Johan Santana 2,025.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Johan Santana, with 10 to Zack Greinke's 5.
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | Johan Santana |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 225 | 139 |
| Losses not scored | 156 | 78 |
| Games not scored | 586 | 360 |
| Games Started not scored | 541 | 284 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 17 | 15 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 10 |
| Saves not scored | 1 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,979 | 1,988 |
| Walks not scored | 762 | 567 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,207 | 1,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 367 | 220 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,389.1 | 2,025.2 |
| 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 longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Zack Greinke played 20 seasons to Johan Santana's 12, while Johan Santana carries the higher per-season figure (4,061 to 2,912). 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
Zack Greinke and Johan Santana split the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card 4-4. On the raw scoreboard neither has the edge. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Zack Greinke higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Zack Greinke and Johan Santana careers compare
From 2004 through 2012, Zack Greinke and Johan Santana were in the majors together. Zack Greinke has the far longer record, 586 games against 360 across 20 and 12 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Johan Santana are shutouts (10 to 5), ERA (3.20 to 3.49), and WHIP (1.13 to 1.17). The per-nine rows read 7.91 strikeouts and 2.02 walks for Zack Greinke, 8.83 and 2.52 for Johan Santana. Zack Greinke was mainly a starter (541 starts in 586 games), and Johan Santana was mainly a starter (284 starts in 360 games). In WHIP, Johan Santana's 1.13 beats Zack Greinke's 1.17.
Zack Greinke vs Johan Santana: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Zack Greinke or Johan Santana?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, neither leads: they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- 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.