Lefty Grove vs Greg Maddux: Career Stats Comparison
Greg Maddux has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Lefty Grove played 1925–1941 as a pitcher; Greg Maddux played 1986–2008 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
Lefty Grove (1925–1941) and Greg Maddux (1986–2008) — breaking in during the 1920s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Lefty Grove finished with 300 wins and 2,266 strikeouts; Greg Maddux finished with 355 wins and 3,371 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Lefty Grove, with 3.06 to Greg Maddux's 3.16.
- Who won more games? Greg Maddux, with 355 to Lefty Grove's 300.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Lefty Grove's 2,266.
- Who had the better WHIP? Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Greg Maddux, with 5,008.1 to Lefty Grove's 3,940.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Greg Maddux, with 133,509 career Pitcher PIV to Lefty Grove's 81,321.
Lefty Grove
Greg Maddux
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 1920s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lefty Grove | Greg Maddux |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 300 | Leads: 355 |
| Losses not scored | 141 | 227 |
| Games | 616 | Leads: 744 |
| Games Started | 457 | Leads: 740 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 298 | 109 |
| Shutouts | 35 | 35 |
| Saves | Leads: 55 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,266 | Leads: 3,371 |
| Walks not scored | 1,187 | 999 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,849 | 4,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 162 | 353 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,940.2 | Leads: 5,008.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.06 | 3.16 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.18 | Leads: 6.06 |
| BB/9 | 2.71 | Leads: 1.80 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux outpaces Lefty Grove 133,509 to 81,321 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,340 PIV per season to 4,784, across 25 seasons to 17. 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).
Lefty Grove — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Greg Maddux — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Greg Maddux leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Lefty Grove owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Greg Maddux. PIV agrees: Greg Maddux grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lefty Grove and Greg Maddux careers compare
No season is shared: Lefty Grove played 1925–1941, Greg Maddux 1986–2008. The two careers are close in length, 616 games for Lefty Grove and 744 for Greg Maddux across 17 and 25 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Lefty Grove comes out ahead, it is in complete games (298 to 109), saves (55 to 0), and ERA (3.06 to 3.16). By rate, Lefty Grove struck out 5.18 and walked 2.71 per nine innings; Greg Maddux struck out 6.06 and walked 1.80. Lefty Grove was mainly a starter (457 starts in 616 games), and Greg Maddux was mainly a starter (740 starts in 744 games).
Lefty Grove vs Greg Maddux: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lefty Grove or Greg Maddux?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Greg Maddux leads Lefty Grove in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Lefty Grove, with 3.06 to Greg Maddux's 3.16.
- Who won more games?
- Greg Maddux, with 355 to Lefty Grove's 300.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Lefty Grove's 2,266.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.