Zack Greinke vs Jason Schmidt: Career Stats Comparison
Zack Greinke 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). Zack Greinke played 2004–2023 as a pitcher; Jason Schmidt played 1995–2009 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 Jason Schmidt (1995–2009) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Zack Greinke finished with 225 wins and 2,979 strikeouts; Jason Schmidt finished with 130 wins and 1,758 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 Jason Schmidt's 3.96.
- Who won more games? Zack Greinke, with 225 to Jason Schmidt's 130.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Zack Greinke, with 2,979 to Jason Schmidt's 1,758.
- Who had the better WHIP? Zack Greinke, with 1.17 to Jason Schmidt's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Zack Greinke, with 3,389.1 to Jason Schmidt's 1,996.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jason Schmidt, with 9 to Zack Greinke's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Zack Greinke, with 58,246 career Pitcher PIV to Jason Schmidt's 34,873.
Zack Greinke
Jason Schmidt
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 2000s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Zack Greinke | Jason Schmidt |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 225 | 130 |
| Losses not scored | 156 | 96 |
| Games | Leads: 586 | 323 |
| Games Started | Leads: 541 | 314 |
| Complete Games | 17 | Leads: 20 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 9 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,979 | 1,758 |
| Walks not scored | 762 | 792 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,207 | 1,846 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 367 | 184 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,389.1 | 1,996.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.49 | 3.96 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | 7.91 | Leads: 7.93 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.02 | 3.57 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Zack Greinke outpaces Jason Schmidt 58,246 to 34,873 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,648 PIV per season to 2,180, across 22 seasons to 16. 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)
Jason Schmidt — 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 Jason Schmidt 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 Jason Schmidt careers compare
Zack Greinke and Jason Schmidt were active at the same time between 2004 and 2009. The table compares 586 games of Zack Greinke with 323 of Jason Schmidt across 22 and 16 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Jason Schmidt are complete games (20 to 17), shutouts (9 to 5), and strikeouts per nine (7.93 to 7.91). The per-nine rows read 7.91 strikeouts and 2.02 walks for Zack Greinke, 7.93 and 3.57 for Jason Schmidt. Zack Greinke was mainly a starter (541 starts in 586 games), and Jason Schmidt was mainly a starter (314 starts in 323 games).
Zack Greinke vs Jason Schmidt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Zack Greinke or Jason Schmidt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Zack Greinke leads Jason Schmidt in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Zack Greinke, with 3.49 to Jason Schmidt's 3.96.
- Who won more games?
- Zack Greinke, with 225 to Jason Schmidt's 130.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Zack Greinke, with 2,979 to Jason Schmidt's 1,758.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Zack Greinke, with 1.17 to Jason Schmidt's 1.32.