Sandy Koufax vs Greg Maddux: Career Stats Comparison
Sandy Koufax and Greg Maddux are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Sandy Koufax played 1955–1966 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
Sandy Koufax (1955–1966) and Greg Maddux (1986–2008) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Sandy Koufax finished with 165 wins and 2,396 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? Sandy Koufax, with 2.76 to Greg Maddux's 3.16.
- Who won more games? Greg Maddux, with 355 to Sandy Koufax's 165.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Sandy Koufax's 2,396.
- Who had the better WHIP? Sandy Koufax, with 1.11 to Greg Maddux's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Greg Maddux, with 5,008.1 to Sandy Koufax's 2,324.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Sandy Koufax, with 40 to Greg Maddux's 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Greg Maddux, with 133,509 career Pitcher PIV to Sandy Koufax's 63,020.
Sandy Koufax
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, and the 1950s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Sandy Koufax | Greg Maddux |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 165 | Leads: 355 |
| Losses not scored | 87 | 227 |
| Games | 397 | Leads: 744 |
| Games Started | 314 | Leads: 740 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 137 | 109 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 40 | 35 |
| Saves | Leads: 9 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,396 | Leads: 3,371 |
| Walks not scored | 817 | 999 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,754 | 4,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 204 | 353 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,324.1 | Leads: 5,008.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.76 | 3.16 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.11 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.28 | 6.06 |
| BB/9 | 3.16 | Leads: 1.80 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux outpaces Sandy Koufax 133,509 to 63,020 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,340 PIV per season to 5,252, across 25 seasons to 12. 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).
Sandy Koufax — 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, and innings pitched, while Sandy Koufax owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. 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 Sandy Koufax and Greg Maddux careers compare
Sandy Koufax (1955–1966) was finished before Greg Maddux (1986–2008) arrived, so they never shared a league. Greg Maddux has the far longer record, 744 games against 397 across 12 and 25 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. By rate, Sandy Koufax struck out 9.28 and walked 3.16 per nine innings; Greg Maddux struck out 6.06 and walked 1.80. Sandy Koufax was mainly a starter (314 starts in 397 games), and Greg Maddux was mainly a starter (740 starts in 744 games). In WHIP, Sandy Koufax's 1.11 beats Greg Maddux's 1.14.
Sandy Koufax vs Greg Maddux: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Sandy Koufax, with 2.76 to Greg Maddux's 3.16.
- Who won more games?
- Greg Maddux, with 355 to Sandy Koufax's 165.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Sandy Koufax's 2,396.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Sandy Koufax, with 1.11 to Greg Maddux's 1.14.