Greg Maddux vs Tom Seaver: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Seaver has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Tom Seaver played 1967–1986 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 Tom Seaver (1967–1986) — 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; Tom Seaver finished with 311 wins and 3,640 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Tom Seaver, with 2.86 to Greg Maddux's 3.16.
- Who won more games? Greg Maddux, with 355 to Tom Seaver's 311.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Seaver, with 3,640 to Greg Maddux's 3,371.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tom Seaver, with 1.12 to Greg Maddux's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Greg Maddux, with 5,008.1 to Tom Seaver's 4,782.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tom Seaver, with 61 to Greg Maddux's 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Greg Maddux, with 133,509 career Pitcher PIV to Tom Seaver's 79,192.
Greg Maddux
Tom Seaver
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 | Tom Seaver |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 355 | 311 |
| Losses not scored | 227 | 205 |
| Games | Leads: 744 | 656 |
| Games Started | Leads: 740 | 647 |
| Complete Games | 109 | Leads: 231 |
| Shutouts | 35 | Leads: 61 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Strikeouts | 3,371 | Leads: 3,640 |
| Walks not scored | 999 | 1,390 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,726 | 3,971 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 353 | 380 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,008.1 | 4,782.2 |
| ERA | 3.16 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | 1.14 | Leads: 1.12 |
| K/9 | 6.06 | Leads: 6.85 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.80 | 2.62 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux outpaces Tom Seaver 133,509 to 79,192 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,340 PIV per season to 3,600, across 25 seasons to 22. 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)
Tom Seaver — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tom Seaver leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Greg Maddux owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tom Seaver. Note that PIV actually grades Greg Maddux ahead, which means Tom Seaver's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Greg Maddux and Tom Seaver careers compare
The careers of Greg Maddux (1986–2008) and Tom Seaver (1967–1986) overlapped from 1986 to 1986, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 744 games for Greg Maddux and 656 for Tom Seaver across 25 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 6.06 strikeouts and 1.80 walks for Greg Maddux, 6.85 and 2.62 for Tom Seaver. Both had the same role: Greg Maddux was mainly a starter (740 starts in 744 games); Tom Seaver was mainly a starter (647 starts in 656 games). In WHIP, Tom Seaver's 1.12 beats Greg Maddux's 1.14.
Greg Maddux vs Tom Seaver: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Greg Maddux or Tom Seaver?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tom Seaver leads Greg Maddux in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Tom Seaver, with 2.86 to Greg Maddux's 3.16.
- Who won more games?
- Greg Maddux, with 355 to Tom Seaver's 311.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Seaver, with 3,640 to Greg Maddux's 3,371.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tom Seaver, with 1.12 to Greg Maddux's 1.14.