Jon Lester vs Adam Wainwright: Career Stats Comparison
Adam Wainwright has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Adam Wainwright played 2005–2023 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 Adam Wainwright (2005–2023) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jon Lester finished with 200 wins and 2,488 strikeouts; Adam Wainwright finished with 200 wins and 2,202 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Adam Wainwright, with 3.53 to Jon Lester's 3.66.
- Who won more games? Neither — both are at 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jon Lester, with 2,488 to Adam Wainwright's 2,202.
- Who had the better WHIP? Adam Wainwright, with 1.24 to Jon Lester's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Jon Lester, with 2,740.0 to Adam Wainwright's 2,668.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Adam Wainwright, with 11 to Jon Lester's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Adam Wainwright, with 44,617 career Pitcher PIV to Jon Lester's 26,549.
Jon Lester
Adam Wainwright
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 | Jon Lester | Adam Wainwright |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 200 | 200 |
| Losses not scored | 117 | 128 |
| Games | 452 | Leads: 478 |
| Games Started | Leads: 451 | 411 |
| Complete Games | 15 | Leads: 28 |
| Shutouts | 4 | Leads: 11 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 3 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,488 | 2,202 |
| Walks not scored | 892 | 736 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,610 | 2,577 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 294 | 233 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,740.0 | 2,668.1 |
| ERA | 3.66 | Leads: 3.53 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | Leads: 1.24 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.17 | 7.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.93 | Leads: 2.48 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Adam Wainwright outpaces Jon Lester 44,617 to 26,549 — driven by per-season impact — 2,479 PIV per season to 1,475 — rather than by longevity, since Adam Wainwright played 18 seasons to Jon Lester's 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)
Adam Wainwright — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jon Lester leads in strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Adam Wainwright owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jon Lester. Note that PIV actually grades Adam Wainwright ahead, which means Jon Lester's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jon Lester and Adam Wainwright careers compare
Jon Lester and Adam Wainwright were active at the same time between 2006 and 2021. The two careers are close in length, 452 games for Jon Lester and 478 for Adam Wainwright across 18 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Jon Lester are starts (451 to 411), strikeouts (2,488 to 2,202), and innings (2,740.0 to 2,668.1). The per-nine rows read 8.17 strikeouts and 2.93 walks for Jon Lester, 7.43 and 2.48 for Adam Wainwright. Both had the same role: Jon Lester was mainly a starter (451 starts in 452 games); Adam Wainwright was mainly a starter (411 starts in 478 games).
Jon Lester vs Adam Wainwright: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jon Lester or Adam Wainwright?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Adam Wainwright leads Jon Lester in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Adam Wainwright, with 3.53 to Jon Lester's 3.66.
- Who won more games?
- Neither — both are at 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jon Lester, with 2,488 to Adam Wainwright's 2,202.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Adam Wainwright, with 1.24 to Jon Lester's 1.28.