Greg Maddux vs Roy Oswalt: 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). Greg Maddux played 1986–2008 as a pitcher; Roy Oswalt played 2001–2013 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
Greg Maddux (1986–2008) and Roy Oswalt (2001–2013) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Greg Maddux finished with 355 wins and 3,371 strikeouts; Roy Oswalt finished with 163 wins and 1,852 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 Roy Oswalt's 3.36.
- Who won more games? Greg Maddux, with 355 to Roy Oswalt's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Roy Oswalt's 1,852.
- Who had the better WHIP? Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Roy Oswalt's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? Greg Maddux, with 5,008.1 to Roy Oswalt's 2,245.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Greg Maddux, with 35 to Roy Oswalt's 8.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Greg Maddux, with 133,509 career Pitcher PIV to Roy Oswalt's 55,095.
Greg Maddux
Roy Oswalt
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 1980s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Greg Maddux | Roy Oswalt |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 355 | 163 |
| Losses not scored | 227 | 102 |
| Games | Leads: 744 | 365 |
| Games Started | Leads: 740 | 341 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 109 | 20 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 35 | 8 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,371 | 1,852 |
| Walks not scored | 999 | 520 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,726 | 2,199 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 353 | 197 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,008.1 | 2,245.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.16 | 3.36 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.21 |
| K/9 | 6.06 | Leads: 7.42 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.80 | 2.08 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux outpaces Roy Oswalt 133,509 to 55,095 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,340 PIV per season to 3,935, across 25 seasons to 14. 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).
Greg Maddux — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Roy Oswalt — 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 Roy Oswalt 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 Greg Maddux and Roy Oswalt careers compare
The careers of Greg Maddux (1986–2008) and Roy Oswalt (2001–2013) overlapped from 2001 to 2008, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Greg Maddux has the far longer record, 744 games against 365 across 25 and 14 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Roy Oswalt are strikeouts per nine (7.42 to 6.06). The per-nine rows read 6.06 strikeouts and 1.80 walks for Greg Maddux, 7.42 and 2.08 for Roy Oswalt. Greg Maddux was mainly a starter (740 starts in 744 games), and Roy Oswalt was mainly a starter (341 starts in 365 games).
Greg Maddux vs Roy Oswalt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Greg Maddux or Roy Oswalt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Greg Maddux leads Roy Oswalt in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Greg Maddux, with 3.16 to Roy Oswalt's 3.36.
- Who won more games?
- Greg Maddux, with 355 to Roy Oswalt's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Roy Oswalt's 1,852.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Roy Oswalt's 1.21.