Lefty Grove vs Zack Wheeler: Career Stats Comparison
Lefty Grove 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). Lefty Grove played 1925–1941 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
Lefty Grove (1925–1941) and Zack Wheeler (2013–present) — breaking in during the 1920s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Lefty Grove finished with 300 wins and 2,266 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? Lefty Grove, with 3.06 to Zack Wheeler's 3.26.
- Who won more games? Lefty Grove, with 300 to Zack Wheeler's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to Zack Wheeler's 2,013.
- Who had the better WHIP? Zack Wheeler, with 1.13 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Lefty Grove, with 3,940.2 to Zack Wheeler's 1,890.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Lefty Grove, with 35 to Zack Wheeler's 3.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lefty Grove, with 81,321 career Pitcher PIV to Zack Wheeler's 39,270.
Lefty Grove
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 1920s 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 | Lefty Grove | Zack Wheeler |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 300 | 127 |
| Losses not scored | 141 | 80 |
| Games | Leads: 616 | 311 |
| Games Started | Leads: 457 | 311 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 298 | 5 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 35 | 3 |
| Saves | Leads: 55 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,266 | 2,013 |
| Walks not scored | 1,187 | 537 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,849 | 1,598 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 162 | 187 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,940.2 | 1,890.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.06 | 3.26 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 5.18 | Leads: 9.58 |
| BB/9 | 2.71 | Leads: 2.56 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lefty Grove outpaces Zack Wheeler 81,321 to 39,270 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,784 PIV per season to 3,570, across 17 seasons to 11. 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)
Zack Wheeler — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lefty Grove leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Zack Wheeler owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lefty Grove. PIV agrees: Lefty Grove 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 Zack Wheeler careers compare
No season is shared: Lefty Grove played 1925–1941, Zack Wheeler 2013–present. The table compares 616 games of Lefty Grove with 311 of Zack Wheeler across 17 and 11 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Zack Wheeler comes out ahead, it is in WHIP (1.13 to 1.28), strikeouts per nine (9.58 to 5.18), and walks per nine (2.56 to 2.71). The per-nine rows read 5.18 strikeouts and 2.71 walks for Lefty Grove, 9.58 and 2.56 for Zack Wheeler. Lefty Grove was mainly a starter (457 starts in 616 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.
Lefty Grove vs Zack Wheeler: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lefty Grove or Zack Wheeler?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lefty Grove leads Zack Wheeler in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Lefty Grove, with 3.06 to Zack Wheeler's 3.26.
- Who won more games?
- Lefty Grove, with 300 to Zack Wheeler's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to Zack Wheeler's 2,013.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Zack Wheeler, with 1.13 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.