Tim Hudson vs Adam Wainwright: Career Stats Comparison
Tim Hudson has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Tim Hudson played 1999–2015 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
Tim Hudson (1999–2015) and Adam Wainwright (2005–2023) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Tim Hudson finished with 222 wins and 2,080 strikeouts; Adam Wainwright finished with 200 wins and 2,202 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Tim Hudson, with 3.49 to Adam Wainwright's 3.53.
- Who won more games? Tim Hudson, with 222 to Adam Wainwright's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Adam Wainwright, with 2,202 to Tim Hudson's 2,080.
- Who had the better WHIP? Neither — both are at 1.24.
- Who pitched more innings? Tim Hudson, with 3,126.2 to Adam Wainwright's 2,668.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tim Hudson, with 13 to Adam Wainwright's 11.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Adam Wainwright, with 44,617 career Pitcher PIV to Tim Hudson's 40,402.
Tim Hudson
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. 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 1990s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Tim Hudson | Adam Wainwright |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 222 | 200 |
| Losses not scored | 133 | 128 |
| Games | Leads: 482 | 478 |
| Games Started | Leads: 479 | 411 |
| Complete Games | 26 | Leads: 28 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 13 | 11 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 3 |
| Strikeouts | 2,080 | Leads: 2,202 |
| Walks not scored | 917 | 736 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,957 | 2,577 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 248 | 233 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,126.2 | 2,668.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.49 | 3.53 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.24 | 1.24 |
| K/9 | 5.99 | Leads: 7.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.64 | Leads: 2.48 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Adam Wainwright leads Tim Hudson 44,617 to 40,402 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,479 PIV per season to 2,377, across 18 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).
Tim Hudson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Adam Wainwright — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tim Hudson leads in wins, ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Adam Wainwright owns strikeouts and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tim Hudson. Note that PIV actually grades Adam Wainwright ahead, which means Tim Hudson's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tim Hudson and Adam Wainwright careers compare
From 2005 through 2015, Tim Hudson and Adam Wainwright were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 482 games for Tim Hudson and 478 for Adam Wainwright across 17 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 5.99 strikeouts and 2.64 walks for Tim Hudson, 7.43 and 2.48 for Adam Wainwright. Tim Hudson was mainly a starter (479 starts in 482 games), and Adam Wainwright was mainly a starter (411 starts in 478 games). Tim Hudson allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.24 WHIP to Adam Wainwright's 1.24.
Tim Hudson vs Adam Wainwright: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tim Hudson or Adam Wainwright?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tim Hudson leads Adam Wainwright in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Tim Hudson, with 3.49 to Adam Wainwright's 3.53.
- Who won more games?
- Tim Hudson, with 222 to Adam Wainwright's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Adam Wainwright, with 2,202 to Tim Hudson's 2,080.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Neither — both are at 1.24.