Greg Maddux vs Nolan Ryan: Career Stats Comparison
Nolan Ryan has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Nolan Ryan played 1966–1993 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 Nolan Ryan (1966–1993) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Greg Maddux finished with 355 wins and 3,371 strikeouts; Nolan Ryan finished with 324 wins and 5,714 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 Nolan Ryan's 3.19.
- Who won more games? Greg Maddux, with 355 to Nolan Ryan's 324.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Nolan Ryan, with 5,714 to Greg Maddux's 3,371.
- Who had the better WHIP? Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Nolan Ryan's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Nolan Ryan, with 5,386.0 to Greg Maddux's 5,008.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Nolan Ryan, with 61 to Greg Maddux's 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Greg Maddux, with 133,509 career Pitcher PIV to Nolan Ryan's 111,223.
Greg Maddux
Nolan Ryan
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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Greg Maddux | Nolan Ryan |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 355 | 324 |
| Losses not scored | 227 | 292 |
| Games | 744 | Leads: 807 |
| Games Started | 740 | Leads: 773 |
| Complete Games | 109 | Leads: 222 |
| Shutouts | 35 | Leads: 61 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 3 |
| Strikeouts | 3,371 | Leads: 5,714 |
| Walks not scored | 999 | 2,795 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,726 | 3,923 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 353 | 321 |
| Innings Pitched | 5,008.1 | Leads: 5,386.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.16 | 3.19 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.25 |
| K/9 | 6.06 | Leads: 9.55 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.80 | 4.67 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux leads Nolan Ryan 133,509 to 111,223 — driven by per-season impact — 5,340 PIV per season to 4,119 — rather than by longevity, since Greg Maddux played 25 seasons to Nolan Ryan's 27. 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)
Nolan Ryan — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Greg Maddux leads in wins, ERA, and WHIP, while Nolan Ryan owns strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched. 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 Nolan Ryan careers compare
From 1986 through 1993, Greg Maddux and Nolan Ryan were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 744 games for Greg Maddux and 807 for Nolan Ryan across 25 and 27 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Greg Maddux are wins (355 to 324), ERA (3.16 to 3.19), and WHIP (1.14 to 1.25). The per-nine rows read 6.06 strikeouts and 1.80 walks for Greg Maddux, 9.55 and 4.67 for Nolan Ryan. Both had the same role: Greg Maddux was mainly a starter (740 starts in 744 games); Nolan Ryan was mainly a starter (773 starts in 807 games).
Greg Maddux vs Nolan Ryan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Greg Maddux or Nolan Ryan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Nolan Ryan leads Greg Maddux in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Greg Maddux, with 3.16 to Nolan Ryan's 3.19.
- Who won more games?
- Greg Maddux, with 355 to Nolan Ryan's 324.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Nolan Ryan, with 5,714 to Greg Maddux's 3,371.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Nolan Ryan's 1.25.