Jon Lester 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). Jon Lester played 2006–2021 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
Jon Lester (2006–2021) and Greg Maddux (1986–2008) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jon Lester finished with 200 wins and 2,488 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 Jon Lester's 3.66.
- Who won more games? Greg Maddux, with 355 to Jon Lester's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Jon Lester's 2,488.
- Who had the better WHIP? Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Jon Lester's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Greg Maddux, with 5,008.1 to Jon Lester's 2,740.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Greg Maddux, with 35 to Jon Lester's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Greg Maddux, with 133,509 career Pitcher PIV to Jon Lester's 26,549.
Jon Lester
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 2000s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jon Lester | Greg Maddux |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 200 | Leads: 355 |
| Losses not scored | 117 | 227 |
| Games | 452 | Leads: 744 |
| Games Started | 451 | Leads: 740 |
| Complete Games | 15 | Leads: 109 |
| Shutouts | 4 | Leads: 35 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,488 | Leads: 3,371 |
| Walks not scored | 892 | 999 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,610 | 4,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 294 | 353 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,740.0 | Leads: 5,008.1 |
| ERA | 3.66 | Leads: 3.16 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.17 | 6.06 |
| BB/9 | 2.93 | Leads: 1.80 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux outpaces Jon Lester 133,509 to 26,549 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,340 PIV per season to 1,475, across 25 seasons to 18. 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).
Jon Lester — 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 Jon Lester 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 Jon Lester and Greg Maddux careers compare
The careers of Jon Lester (2006–2021) and Greg Maddux (1986–2008) overlapped from 2006 to 2008, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 452 games of Jon Lester with 744 of Greg Maddux across 18 and 25 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Jon Lester comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (8.17 to 6.06). The per-nine rows read 8.17 strikeouts and 2.93 walks for Jon Lester, 6.06 and 1.80 for Greg Maddux. Both had the same role: Jon Lester was mainly a starter (451 starts in 452 games); Greg Maddux was mainly a starter (740 starts in 744 games).
Jon Lester vs Greg Maddux: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jon Lester or Greg Maddux?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Greg Maddux leads Jon Lester in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Greg Maddux, with 3.16 to Jon Lester's 3.66.
- Who won more games?
- Greg Maddux, with 355 to Jon Lester's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Jon Lester's 2,488.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Jon Lester's 1.28.