Zack Greinke vs Adam Wainwright: Career Stats Comparison
Zack Greinke has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 statistical categories compared on this page. Zack Greinke has played 2004–present as a pitcher; Adam Wainwright has played 2005–present 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 Adam Wainwright (2005–present) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Zack Greinke compiled 225 wins and 2,979 strikeouts; Adam Wainwright put up 200 wins and 2,202 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 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.
- Who pitched more innings? Zack Greinke, with 3,389 to Adam Wainwright's 2,668.
- Who threw more shutouts? Adam Wainwright, with 11 to Zack Greinke's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Zack Greinke, with 58,246 career Pitcher PIV to Adam Wainwright's 44,617.
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. 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 | Adam Wainwright |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 225 | 200 |
| Losses | 156 | 128 |
| Games | Leads: 586 | 478 |
| Games Started | Leads: 541 | 411 |
| Complete Games | 17 | Leads: 28 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 11 |
| Saves | 1 | Leads: 3 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,979 | 2,202 |
| Walks | 762 | 736 |
| Hits Allowed | 3,207 | 2,577 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 367 | 233 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,389 | 2,668 |
| 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 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,648 vs 2,479 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)
Adam Wainwright — 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 Adam Wainwright 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
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 9 of 12 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.