Jimmy Key vs Greg Maddux: Career Stats Comparison
Greg Maddux has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jimmy Key played 1984–1998 as a pitcher; Greg Maddux played 1986–2008 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
Jimmy Key (1984–1998) and Greg Maddux (1986–2008) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jimmy Key finished with 186 wins and 1,538 strikeouts; Greg Maddux finished with 355 wins and 3,371 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Greg Maddux, with 3.16 to Jimmy Key's 3.51.
- Who won more games? Greg Maddux, with 355 to Jimmy Key's 186.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Jimmy Key's 1,538.
- Who had the better WHIP? Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Jimmy Key's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Greg Maddux, with 5,008.1 to Jimmy Key's 2,591.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Greg Maddux, with 35 to Jimmy Key's 13.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Greg Maddux, with 133,509 career Pitcher PIV to Jimmy Key's 19,114.
Jimmy Key
Greg Maddux
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 | Jimmy Key | Greg Maddux |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 186 | Leads: 355 |
| Losses not scored | 117 | 227 |
| Games | 470 | Leads: 744 |
| Games Started | 389 | Leads: 740 |
| Complete Games | 34 | Leads: 109 |
| Shutouts | 13 | Leads: 35 |
| Saves | Leads: 10 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,538 | Leads: 3,371 |
| Walks not scored | 668 | 999 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,518 | 4,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 254 | 353 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,591.2 | Leads: 5,008.1 |
| ERA | 3.51 | Leads: 3.16 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.34 | Leads: 6.06 |
| BB/9 | 2.32 | Leads: 1.80 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux outpaces Jimmy Key 133,509 to 19,114 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,340 PIV per season to 1,274, across 25 seasons to 15. 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).
Jimmy Key — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Greg Maddux — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Greg Maddux leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Jimmy Key owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Greg Maddux. PIV agrees: Greg Maddux grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jimmy Key and Greg Maddux careers compare
The careers of Jimmy Key (1984–1998) and Greg Maddux (1986–2008) overlapped from 1986 to 1998, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Greg Maddux has the far longer record, 744 games against 470 across 15 and 25 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Jimmy Key are saves (10 to 0). The per-nine rows read 5.34 strikeouts and 2.32 walks for Jimmy Key, 6.06 and 1.80 for Greg Maddux. Jimmy Key was mainly a starter (389 starts in 470 games), and Greg Maddux was mainly a starter (740 starts in 744 games). Complete games (34 to 109) show how differently the two eras used starters.
Jimmy Key vs Greg Maddux: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jimmy Key or Greg Maddux?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Greg Maddux leads Jimmy Key in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Greg Maddux, with 3.16 to Jimmy Key's 3.51.
- Who won more games?
- Greg Maddux, with 355 to Jimmy Key's 186.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Jimmy Key's 1,538.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Jimmy Key's 1.23.