Zack Greinke vs Adam Wainwright: Career Stats Comparison
Zack Greinke has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Zack Greinke played 2004–2023 as a pitcher; Adam Wainwright played 2005–2023 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 Adam Wainwright (2005–2023) — both debuted in the 2000s. Zack Greinke finished with 225 wins and 2,979 strikeouts; Adam Wainwright finished with 200 wins and 2,202 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Zack Greinke, in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Zack Greinke, with 3.49 to Adam Wainwright's 3.53.
- Who won more games? Zack Greinke, with 225 to Adam Wainwright's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Zack Greinke, with 2,979 to Adam Wainwright's 2,202.
- Who had the better WHIP? Zack Greinke, with 1.17 to Adam Wainwright's 1.24.
- How many innings did each pitch? Zack Greinke 3,389.1, Adam Wainwright 2,668.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Adam Wainwright, with 11 to Zack Greinke's 5.
Zack Greinke
Adam Wainwright
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 | Adam Wainwright |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 225 | 200 |
| Losses not scored | 156 | 128 |
| Games not scored | 586 | 478 |
| Games Started not scored | 541 | 411 |
| Complete Games | 17 | Leads: 28 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 11 |
| Saves not scored | 1 | 3 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,979 | 2,202 |
| Walks not scored | 762 | 736 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,207 | 2,577 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 367 | 233 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,389.1 | 2,668.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.49 | 3.53 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.24 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.91 | 7.43 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.02 | 2.48 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Zack Greinke leads Adam Wainwright 58,246 to 44,617 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,912 PIV per season to 2,479, across 20 seasons to 18. 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)
Adam Wainwright — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Zack Greinke leads 6 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and others. Adam Wainwright leads 2: complete games and shutouts. 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 Adam Wainwright careers compare
Zack Greinke and Adam Wainwright were active at the same time between 2005 and 2023. The two careers are close in length, 586 games for Zack Greinke and 478 for Adam Wainwright across 20 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Adam Wainwright comes out ahead, it is in complete games (28 to 17) and shutouts (11 to 5). The per-nine rows read 7.91 strikeouts and 2.02 walks for Zack Greinke, 7.43 and 2.48 for Adam Wainwright. Both had the same role: Zack Greinke was mainly a starter (541 starts in 586 games); Adam Wainwright was mainly a starter (411 starts in 478 games).
Zack Greinke vs Adam Wainwright: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Zack Greinke or Adam Wainwright?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Zack Greinke leads Adam Wainwright in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Zack Greinke, with 3.49 to Adam Wainwright's 3.53.
- Who won more games?
- Zack Greinke, with 225 to Adam Wainwright's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Zack Greinke, with 2,979 to Adam Wainwright's 2,202.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Zack Greinke, with 1.17 to Adam Wainwright's 1.24.