Greg Maddux vs Bret Saberhagen: Career Stats Comparison
Greg Maddux has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Greg Maddux played 1986–2008 as a pitcher; Bret Saberhagen played 1984–2001 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 Bret Saberhagen (1984–2001) — both debuted in the 1980s. Greg Maddux finished with 355 wins and 3,371 strikeouts; Bret Saberhagen finished with 167 wins and 1,715 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Greg Maddux, in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Greg Maddux, with 3.16 to Bret Saberhagen's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Greg Maddux, with 355 to Bret Saberhagen's 167.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Bret Saberhagen's 1,715.
- Who had the better WHIP? Neither — both are at 1.14.
- How many innings did each pitch? Greg Maddux 5,008.1, Bret Saberhagen 2,562.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Greg Maddux, with 35 to Bret Saberhagen's 16.
Greg Maddux
Bret Saberhagen
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | Greg Maddux | Bret Saberhagen |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 355 | 167 |
| Losses not scored | 227 | 117 |
| Games not scored | 744 | 399 |
| Games Started not scored | 740 | 371 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 109 | 76 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 35 | 16 |
| Saves not scored | 0 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,371 | 1,715 |
| Walks not scored | 999 | 471 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,726 | 2,452 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 353 | 218 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 5,008.1 | 2,562.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.16 | 3.34 |
| WHIP | 1.14 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.06 | 6.02 |
| BB/9 | 1.80 | Leads: 1.65 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux outpaces Bret Saberhagen 133,509 to 53,065 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,805 PIV per season to 3,317, across 23 seasons to 16. 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).
Greg Maddux — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Bret Saberhagen — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Greg Maddux leads 6 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Bret Saberhagen leads 2: WHIP and walks per nine. 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 Bret Saberhagen careers compare
From 1986 through 2001, Greg Maddux and Bret Saberhagen were in the majors together. Greg Maddux has the far longer record, 744 games against 399 across 23 and 16 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Bret Saberhagen's edges on the table are WHIP (1.14 to 1.14) and walks per nine (1.65 to 1.80). The per-nine rows read 6.06 strikeouts and 1.80 walks for Greg Maddux, 6.02 and 1.65 for Bret Saberhagen. Greg Maddux was mainly a starter (740 starts in 744 games), and Bret Saberhagen was mainly a starter (371 starts in 399 games). In WHIP, Bret Saberhagen's 1.14 beats Greg Maddux's 1.14.
Greg Maddux vs Bret Saberhagen: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Greg Maddux or Bret Saberhagen?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Greg Maddux leads Bret Saberhagen in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Greg Maddux, with 3.16 to Bret Saberhagen's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Greg Maddux, with 355 to Bret Saberhagen's 167.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Bret Saberhagen's 1,715.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Neither — both are at 1.14.