Greg Maddux vs Johan Santana: Career Stats Comparison
Greg Maddux has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Johan Santana played 2000–2012 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 Johan Santana (2000–2012) — 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; Johan Santana finished with 139 wins and 1,988 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 Johan Santana's 3.20.
- Who won more games? Greg Maddux, with 355 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP? Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Greg Maddux's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Greg Maddux, with 5,008.1 to Johan Santana's 2,025.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Greg Maddux, with 35 to Johan Santana's 10.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Greg Maddux, with 133,509 career Pitcher PIV to Johan Santana's 48,732.
Greg Maddux
Johan Santana
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 | Johan Santana |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 355 | 139 |
| Losses not scored | 227 | 78 |
| Games | Leads: 744 | 360 |
| Games Started | Leads: 740 | 284 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 109 | 15 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 35 | 10 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,371 | 1,988 |
| Walks not scored | 999 | 567 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,726 | 1,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 353 | 220 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,008.1 | 2,025.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.16 | 3.20 |
| WHIP | 1.14 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 6.06 | Leads: 8.83 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.80 | 2.52 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux outpaces Johan Santana 133,509 to 48,732 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,340 PIV per season to 4,061, across 25 seasons to 12. 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)
Johan Santana — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Greg Maddux leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Johan Santana owns WHIP and 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 Johan Santana careers compare
From 2000 through 2008, Greg Maddux and Johan Santana were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Greg Maddux appeared in 744 games to Johan Santana's 360. The green cells for Johan Santana are saves (1 to 0), WHIP (1.13 to 1.14), and strikeouts per nine (8.83 to 6.06). By rate, Greg Maddux struck out 6.06 and walked 1.80 per nine innings; Johan Santana struck out 8.83 and walked 2.52. Greg Maddux was mainly a starter (740 starts in 744 games), and Johan Santana was mainly a starter (284 starts in 360 games).
Greg Maddux vs Johan Santana: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Greg Maddux or Johan Santana?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Greg Maddux leads Johan Santana in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Greg Maddux, with 3.16 to Johan Santana's 3.20.
- Who won more games?
- Greg Maddux, with 355 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Greg Maddux's 1.14.