Randy Johnson vs Zack Wheeler: Career Stats Comparison
Randy Johnson 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). Randy Johnson played 1988–2009 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
Randy Johnson (1988–2009) and Zack Wheeler (2013–present) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Randy Johnson finished with 303 wins and 4,875 strikeouts; Zack Wheeler has 127 wins and 2,013 strikeouts through October 6, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Zack Wheeler, with 3.26 to Randy Johnson's 3.29.
- Who won more games? Randy Johnson, with 303 to Zack Wheeler's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Randy Johnson, with 4,875 to Zack Wheeler's 2,013.
- Who had the better WHIP? Zack Wheeler, with 1.13 to Randy Johnson's 1.17.
- Who pitched more innings? Randy Johnson, with 4,135.1 to Zack Wheeler's 1,890.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Randy Johnson, with 37 to Zack Wheeler's 3.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Randy Johnson, with 122,530 career Pitcher PIV to Zack Wheeler's 39,270.
Randy Johnson
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 1980s 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 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Randy Johnson | Zack Wheeler |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 303 | 127 |
| Losses not scored | 166 | 80 |
| Games | Leads: 618 | 311 |
| Games Started | Leads: 603 | 311 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 100 | 5 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 37 | 3 |
| Saves | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,875 | 2,013 |
| Walks not scored | 1,497 | 537 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,346 | 1,598 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 411 | 187 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,135.1 | 1,890.1 |
| ERA | 3.29 | Leads: 3.26 |
| WHIP | 1.17 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.61 | 9.58 |
| BB/9 | 3.26 | Leads: 2.56 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Randy Johnson outpaces Zack Wheeler 122,530 to 39,270 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,105 PIV per season to 3,570, across 24 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).
Randy Johnson — 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, Randy Johnson leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Zack Wheeler owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Randy Johnson. PIV agrees: Randy Johnson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Randy Johnson and Zack Wheeler careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Randy Johnson's ended in 2009, and Zack Wheeler debuted in 2013. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Randy Johnson appeared in 618 games to Zack Wheeler's 311. The green cells for Zack Wheeler are ERA (3.26 to 3.29), WHIP (1.13 to 1.17), and walks per nine (2.56 to 3.26). The per-nine rows read 10.61 strikeouts and 3.26 walks for Randy Johnson, 9.58 and 2.56 for Zack Wheeler. Randy Johnson was mainly a starter (603 starts in 618 games), and Zack Wheeler was mainly a starter (311 starts in 311 games). Complete games (100 to 5) show how differently the two eras used starters. Because Zack Wheeler is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Randy Johnson vs Zack Wheeler: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Randy Johnson or Zack Wheeler?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Randy Johnson leads Zack Wheeler in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Zack Wheeler, with 3.26 to Randy Johnson's 3.29.
- Who won more games?
- Randy Johnson, with 303 to Zack Wheeler's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Randy Johnson, with 4,875 to Zack Wheeler's 2,013.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Zack Wheeler, with 1.13 to Randy Johnson's 1.17.