Roy Halladay vs Adam Wainwright: Career Stats Comparison
Roy Halladay 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). Roy Halladay played 1998–2013 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
Roy Halladay (1998–2013) and Adam Wainwright (2005–2023) — they debuted in the 1990s and the 2000s respectively and share 9 seasons. Roy Halladay finished with 203 wins and 2,117 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? Roy Halladay, in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Roy Halladay, with 3.38 to Adam Wainwright's 3.53.
- Who won more games? Roy Halladay, with 203 to Adam Wainwright's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Adam Wainwright, with 2,202 to Roy Halladay's 2,117.
- Who had the better WHIP? Roy Halladay, with 1.18 to Adam Wainwright's 1.24.
- How many innings did each pitch? Roy Halladay 2,749.1, Adam Wainwright 2,668.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Roy Halladay, with 20 to Adam Wainwright's 11.
Roy Halladay
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 | Roy Halladay | Adam Wainwright |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 203 | 200 |
| Losses not scored | 105 | 128 |
| Games not scored | 416 | 478 |
| Games Started not scored | 390 | 411 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 67 | 28 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 20 | 11 |
| Saves not scored | 1 | 3 |
| Strikeouts | 2,117 | Leads: 2,202 |
| Walks not scored | 592 | 736 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,646 | 2,577 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 236 | 233 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,749.1 | 2,668.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.38 | 3.53 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.24 |
| K/9 | 6.93 | Leads: 7.43 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.94 | 2.48 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roy Halladay outpaces Adam Wainwright 66,478 to 44,617 — driven by per-season impact — 4,155 PIV per season to 2,479 — rather than by longevity, since Roy Halladay played 16 seasons to Adam Wainwright's 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).
Roy Halladay — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Adam Wainwright — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Roy Halladay leads 6 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, ERA, and others. Adam Wainwright leads 2: strikeouts and strikeouts per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Roy Halladay. PIV agrees: Roy Halladay grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Roy Halladay and Adam Wainwright careers compare
Roy Halladay and Adam Wainwright were active at the same time between 2005 and 2013. The two careers are close in length, 416 games for Roy Halladay and 478 for Adam Wainwright across 16 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Adam Wainwright are strikeouts (2,202 to 2,117) and strikeouts per nine (7.43 to 6.93). The per-nine rows read 6.93 strikeouts and 1.94 walks for Roy Halladay, 7.43 and 2.48 for Adam Wainwright. Both had the same role: Roy Halladay was mainly a starter (390 starts in 416 games); Adam Wainwright was mainly a starter (411 starts in 478 games).
Roy Halladay vs Adam Wainwright: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roy Halladay or Adam Wainwright?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roy Halladay leads Adam Wainwright in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Roy Halladay, with 3.38 to Adam Wainwright's 3.53.
- Who won more games?
- Roy Halladay, with 203 to Adam Wainwright's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Adam Wainwright, with 2,202 to Roy Halladay's 2,117.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Roy Halladay, with 1.18 to Adam Wainwright's 1.24.