Greg Maddux vs Paul Skenes: Career Stats Comparison
Greg Maddux 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; Paul Skenes has played 2024–present 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 Paul Skenes (2024–present) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Greg Maddux finished with 355 wins and 3,371 strikeouts; Paul Skenes has 31 wins and 586 strikeouts through October 6, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Greg Maddux's 3.16.
- Who won more games? Greg Maddux, with 355 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP? Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Greg Maddux's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Greg Maddux, with 5,008.1 to Paul Skenes's 495.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Greg Maddux, with 35 to Paul Skenes's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Greg Maddux, with 133,509 career Pitcher PIV to Paul Skenes's 14,331.
Greg Maddux
Paul Skenes
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 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Paul Skenes is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Greg Maddux | Paul Skenes |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 355 | 31 |
| Losses not scored | 227 | 24 |
| Games | Leads: 744 | 87 |
| Games Started | Leads: 740 | 87 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 109 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 35 | 0 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,371 | 586 |
| Walks not scored | 999 | 123 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,726 | 376 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 353 | 41 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,008.1 | 495.0 |
| ERA | 3.16 | Leads: 2.62 |
| WHIP | 1.14 | Leads: 1.01 |
| K/9 | 6.06 | Leads: 10.65 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.80 | 2.24 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux outpaces Paul Skenes 133,509 to 14,331 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Greg Maddux played 25 seasons to Paul Skenes's 2, while Paul Skenes carries the higher per-season figure (7,166 to 5,340). 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)
Paul Skenes — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Greg Maddux leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Paul Skenes owns ERA, 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 Paul Skenes careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Greg Maddux's ended in 2008, and Paul Skenes debuted in 2024. The table compares 744 games of Greg Maddux with 87 of Paul Skenes across 25 and 2 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Paul Skenes's edges on the table are ERA (2.62 to 3.16), WHIP (1.01 to 1.14), and strikeouts per nine (10.65 to 6.06). By rate, Greg Maddux struck out 6.06 and walked 1.80 per nine innings; Paul Skenes struck out 10.65 and walked 2.24. Both had the same role: Greg Maddux was mainly a starter (740 starts in 744 games); Paul Skenes was mainly a starter (87 starts in 87 games). Paul Skenes's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Greg Maddux vs Paul Skenes: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Greg Maddux or Paul Skenes?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Greg Maddux leads Paul Skenes in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Greg Maddux's 3.16.
- Who won more games?
- Greg Maddux, with 355 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Greg Maddux's 1.14.