Zack Greinke vs Ben Sheets: 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; Ben Sheets played 2001–2012 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 Ben Sheets (2001–2012) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Zack Greinke finished with 225 wins and 2,979 strikeouts; Ben Sheets finished with 94 wins and 1,325 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 Ben Sheets's 3.78.
- Who won more games? Zack Greinke, with 225 to Ben Sheets's 94.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Zack Greinke, with 2,979 to Ben Sheets's 1,325.
- Who had the better WHIP? Zack Greinke, with 1.17 to Ben Sheets's 1.22.
- Who pitched more innings? Zack Greinke, with 3,389.1 to Ben Sheets's 1,596.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Zack Greinke, with 5 to Ben Sheets's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Zack Greinke, with 58,246 career Pitcher PIV to Ben Sheets's 28,864.
Zack Greinke
Ben Sheets
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 | Ben Sheets |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 225 | 94 |
| Losses not scored | 156 | 96 |
| Games | Leads: 586 | 250 |
| Games Started | Leads: 541 | 250 |
| Complete Games | 17 | Leads: 18 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 5 | 4 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,979 | 1,325 |
| Walks not scored | 762 | 369 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,207 | 1,577 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 367 | 184 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,389.1 | 1,596.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.49 | 3.78 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.22 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.91 | 7.47 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.02 | 2.08 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Zack Greinke outpaces Ben Sheets 58,246 to 28,864 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Zack Greinke played 22 seasons to Ben Sheets's 10, while Ben Sheets carries the higher per-season figure (2,886 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)
Ben Sheets — 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 Ben Sheets owns no headline categories. 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 Ben Sheets careers compare
The careers of Zack Greinke (2004–2023) and Ben Sheets (2001–2012) overlapped from 2004 to 2012, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Zack Greinke has the far longer record, 586 games against 250 across 22 and 10 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Ben Sheets are complete games (18 to 17). By rate, Zack Greinke struck out 7.91 and walked 2.02 per nine innings; Ben Sheets struck out 7.47 and walked 2.08. Zack Greinke was mainly a starter (541 starts in 586 games), and Ben Sheets was mainly a starter (250 starts in 250 games). In WHIP, Zack Greinke's 1.17 beats Ben Sheets's 1.22.
Zack Greinke vs Ben Sheets: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Zack Greinke or Ben Sheets?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Zack Greinke leads Ben Sheets in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Zack Greinke, with 3.49 to Ben Sheets's 3.78.
- Who won more games?
- Zack Greinke, with 225 to Ben Sheets's 94.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Zack Greinke, with 2,979 to Ben Sheets's 1,325.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Zack Greinke, with 1.17 to Ben Sheets's 1.22.