Zack Greinke vs Zack Wheeler: 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; Zack Wheeler has played 2013–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 (2004–2023) and Zack Wheeler (2013–present) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Zack Greinke finished with 225 wins and 2,979 strikeouts; Zack Wheeler has 127 wins and 2,013 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Zack Wheeler, with 3.26 to Zack Greinke's 3.49.
- Who won more games? Zack Greinke, with 225 to Zack Wheeler's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Zack Greinke, with 2,979 to Zack Wheeler's 2,013.
- Who had the better WHIP? Zack Wheeler, with 1.13 to Zack Greinke's 1.17.
- Who pitched more innings? Zack Greinke, with 3,389.1 to Zack Wheeler's 1,890.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Zack Greinke, with 5 to Zack Wheeler's 3.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Zack Greinke, with 58,246 career Pitcher PIV to Zack Wheeler's 39,270.
Zack Greinke
Zack Wheeler
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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Zack Wheeler is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Zack Greinke | Zack Wheeler |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 225 | 127 |
| Losses not scored | 156 | 80 |
| Games | Leads: 586 | 311 |
| Games Started | Leads: 541 | 311 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 17 | 5 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 5 | 3 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,979 | 2,013 |
| Walks not scored | 762 | 537 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,207 | 1,598 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 367 | 187 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,389.1 | 1,890.1 |
| ERA | 3.49 | Leads: 3.26 |
| WHIP | 1.17 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 7.91 | Leads: 9.58 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.02 | 2.56 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Zack Greinke outpaces Zack Wheeler 58,246 to 39,270 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Zack Greinke played 22 seasons to Zack Wheeler's 11, while Zack Wheeler carries the higher per-season figure (3,570 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)
Zack Wheeler — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Zack Greinke leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Zack Wheeler owns ERA, WHIP, and 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 Zack Wheeler careers compare
The careers of Zack Greinke (2004–2023) and Zack Wheeler (2013–present) overlapped from 2013 to 2023, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 586 games of Zack Greinke with 311 of Zack Wheeler across 22 and 11 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Zack Wheeler's edges on the table are ERA (3.26 to 3.49), WHIP (1.13 to 1.17), and strikeouts per nine (9.58 to 7.91). The per-nine rows read 7.91 strikeouts and 2.02 walks for Zack Greinke, 9.58 and 2.56 for Zack Wheeler. Zack Greinke was mainly a starter (541 starts in 586 games), and Zack Wheeler was mainly a starter (311 starts in 311 games). Zack Wheeler's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Zack Greinke vs Zack Wheeler: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Zack Greinke or Zack Wheeler?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Zack Greinke leads Zack Wheeler in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Zack Wheeler, with 3.26 to Zack Greinke's 3.49.
- Who won more games?
- Zack Greinke, with 225 to Zack Wheeler's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Zack Greinke, with 2,979 to Zack Wheeler's 2,013.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Zack Wheeler, with 1.13 to Zack Greinke's 1.17.