Greg Maddux vs Fernando Valenzuela: 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; Fernando Valenzuela played 1980–1997 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 Fernando Valenzuela (1980–1997) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Greg Maddux finished with 355 wins and 3,371 strikeouts; Fernando Valenzuela finished with 173 wins and 2,074 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 Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Greg Maddux, with 355 to Fernando Valenzuela's 173.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP? Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Greg Maddux, with 5,008.1 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,930.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Greg Maddux, with 35 to Fernando Valenzuela's 31.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Greg Maddux, with 133,509 career Pitcher PIV to Fernando Valenzuela's 30,102.
Greg Maddux
Fernando Valenzuela
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Greg Maddux | Fernando Valenzuela |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 355 | 173 |
| Losses not scored | 227 | 153 |
| Games | Leads: 744 | 453 |
| Games Started | Leads: 740 | 424 |
| Complete Games | 109 | Leads: 113 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 35 | 31 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 2 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,371 | 2,074 |
| Walks not scored | 999 | 1,151 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,726 | 2,718 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 353 | 226 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,008.1 | 2,930.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.16 | 3.54 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | 6.06 | Leads: 6.37 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.80 | 3.54 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux outpaces Fernando Valenzuela 133,509 to 30,102 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,340 PIV per season to 1,672, across 25 seasons to 18. 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)
Fernando Valenzuela — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Greg Maddux leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Fernando Valenzuela owns 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 Fernando Valenzuela careers compare
The careers of Greg Maddux (1986–2008) and Fernando Valenzuela (1980–1997) overlapped from 1986 to 1997, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Greg Maddux has the far longer record, 744 games against 453 across 25 and 18 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Fernando Valenzuela comes out ahead, it is in complete games (113 to 109), saves (2 to 0), and strikeouts per nine (6.37 to 6.06). The per-nine rows read 6.06 strikeouts and 1.80 walks for Greg Maddux, 6.37 and 3.54 for Fernando Valenzuela. Greg Maddux was mainly a starter (740 starts in 744 games), and Fernando Valenzuela was mainly a starter (424 starts in 453 games).
Greg Maddux vs Fernando Valenzuela: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Greg Maddux or Fernando Valenzuela?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Greg Maddux leads Fernando Valenzuela in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Greg Maddux, with 3.16 to Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Greg Maddux, with 355 to Fernando Valenzuela's 173.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.