Mark Langston vs Greg Maddux: Career Stats Comparison
Greg Maddux has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Mark Langston played 1984–1999 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
Mark Langston (1984–1999) and Greg Maddux (1986–2008) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Mark Langston finished with 179 wins and 2,464 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 Mark Langston's 3.97.
- Who won more games? Greg Maddux, with 355 to Mark Langston's 179.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Mark Langston's 2,464.
- Who had the better WHIP? Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Mark Langston's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Greg Maddux, with 5,008.1 to Mark Langston's 2,962.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Greg Maddux, with 35 to Mark Langston's 18.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Greg Maddux, with 133,509 career Pitcher PIV to Mark Langston's 9,258.
Mark Langston
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 | Mark Langston | Greg Maddux |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 179 | Leads: 355 |
| Losses not scored | 158 | 227 |
| Games | 457 | Leads: 744 |
| Games Started | 428 | Leads: 740 |
| Complete Games | 81 | Leads: 109 |
| Shutouts | 18 | Leads: 35 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,464 | Leads: 3,371 |
| Walks not scored | 1,289 | 999 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,723 | 4,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 311 | 353 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,962.2 | Leads: 5,008.1 |
| ERA | 3.97 | Leads: 3.16 |
| WHIP | 1.35 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.49 | 6.06 |
| BB/9 | 3.92 | Leads: 1.80 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux outpaces Mark Langston 133,509 to 9,258 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,340 PIV per season to 545, across 25 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).
Mark Langston — 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 Mark Langston owns 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 Mark Langston and Greg Maddux careers compare
The careers of Mark Langston (1984–1999) and Greg Maddux (1986–2008) overlapped from 1986 to 1999, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Greg Maddux has the far longer record, 744 games against 457 across 17 and 25 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Mark Langston are strikeouts per nine (7.49 to 6.06). By rate, Mark Langston struck out 7.49 and walked 3.92 per nine innings; Greg Maddux struck out 6.06 and walked 1.80. Both had the same role: Mark Langston was mainly a starter (428 starts in 457 games); Greg Maddux was mainly a starter (740 starts in 744 games).
Mark Langston vs Greg Maddux: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mark Langston or Greg Maddux?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Greg Maddux leads Mark Langston in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Greg Maddux, with 3.16 to Mark Langston's 3.97.
- Who won more games?
- Greg Maddux, with 355 to Mark Langston's 179.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Mark Langston's 2,464.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Mark Langston's 1.35.