Tom Henke vs David Wells: Career Stats Comparison
David Wells 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). Tom Henke played 1982–1995 as a pitcher; David Wells played 1987–2007 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
Tom Henke (1982–1995) and David Wells (1987–2007) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Tom Henke finished with 41 wins and 861 strikeouts; David Wells finished with 239 wins and 2,201 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Tom Henke, with 2.67 to David Wells's 4.13.
- Who won more games? David Wells, with 239 to Tom Henke's 41.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? David Wells, with 2,201 to Tom Henke's 861.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tom Henke, with 1.09 to David Wells's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? David Wells, with 3,439.0 to Tom Henke's 789.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? David Wells, with 12 to Tom Henke's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? David Wells, with 31,301 career Pitcher PIV to Tom Henke's 25,520.
David Wells
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Tom Henke | David Wells |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 41 | Leads: 239 |
| Losses not scored | 42 | 157 |
| Games | 642 | Leads: 660 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 489 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 54 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 12 |
| Saves | Leads: 311 | 13 |
| Strikeouts | 861 | Leads: 2,201 |
| Walks not scored | 255 | 719 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 607 | 3,635 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 64 | 407 |
| Innings Pitched | 789.2 | Leads: 3,439.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.67 | 4.13 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.09 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.81 | 5.76 |
| BB/9 | 2.91 | Leads: 1.88 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Wells leads Tom Henke 31,301 to 25,520 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: David Wells played 24 seasons to Tom Henke's 14, while Tom Henke carries the higher per-season figure (1,823 to 1,304). 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).
Tom Henke
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
David Wells — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Wells leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Tom Henke owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Wells. PIV agrees: David Wells grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tom Henke and David Wells careers compare
The careers of Tom Henke (1982–1995) and David Wells (1987–2007) overlapped from 1987 to 1995, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 642 games for Tom Henke and 660 for David Wells across 14 and 24 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Tom Henke are saves (311 to 13), ERA (2.67 to 4.13), and WHIP (1.09 to 1.27). The per-nine rows read 9.81 strikeouts and 2.91 walks for Tom Henke, 5.76 and 1.88 for David Wells.
Tom Henke vs David Wells: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tom Henke or David Wells?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Wells leads Tom Henke in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Tom Henke, with 2.67 to David Wells's 4.13.
- Who won more games?
- David Wells, with 239 to Tom Henke's 41.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- David Wells, with 2,201 to Tom Henke's 861.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tom Henke, with 1.09 to David Wells's 1.27.