Jon Lieber vs David Wells: Career Stats Comparison
Jon Lieber (1994–2008) and David Wells (1987–2007) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jon Lieber compiled 131 wins and 1,553 strikeouts; David Wells put up 239 wins and 2,201 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Jon Lieber
David Wells
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Jon Lieber | David Wells |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 131 | 239 |
| Losses | 124 | 157 |
| Games | 401 | 660 |
| Games Started | 327 | 489 |
| Complete Games | 25 | 54 |
| Shutouts | 5 | 12 |
| Saves | 2 | 13 |
| Strikeouts | 1,553 | 2,201 |
| Walks | 422 | 719 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,388 | 3,635 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 285 | 407 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,198 | 3,439 |
| ERA | 4.27 | 4.13 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | 6.36 | 5.76 |
| BB/9 | 1.73 | 1.88 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Wells leads Jon Lieber 31,301 to 27,226 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,304 vs 1,945 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Jon Lieber — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
David Wells — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Wells leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Jon Lieber owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Wells. PIV agrees: David Wells grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.