Greg Maddux vs Bob Welch: Career Stats Comparison
Greg Maddux has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Bob Welch played 1978–1994 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 Bob Welch (1978–1994) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Greg Maddux finished with 355 wins and 3,371 strikeouts; Bob Welch finished with 211 wins and 1,969 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 Bob Welch's 3.47.
- Who won more games? Greg Maddux, with 355 to Bob Welch's 211.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Bob Welch's 1,969.
- Who had the better WHIP? Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Bob Welch's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Greg Maddux, with 5,008.1 to Bob Welch's 3,092.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Greg Maddux, with 35 to Bob Welch's 28.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Greg Maddux, with 133,509 career Pitcher PIV to Bob Welch's 15,932.
Greg Maddux
Bob Welch
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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Greg Maddux | Bob Welch |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 355 | 211 |
| Losses not scored | 227 | 146 |
| Games | Leads: 744 | 506 |
| Games Started | Leads: 740 | 462 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 109 | 61 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 35 | 28 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 8 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,371 | 1,969 |
| Walks not scored | 999 | 1,034 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,726 | 2,894 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 353 | 267 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,008.1 | 3,092.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.16 | 3.47 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.06 | 5.73 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.80 | 3.01 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux outpaces Bob Welch 133,509 to 15,932 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,340 PIV per season to 937, across 25 seasons to 17. 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)
Bob Welch — 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 Bob Welch owns no headline categories. 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 Bob Welch careers compare
The careers of Greg Maddux (1986–2008) and Bob Welch (1978–1994) overlapped from 1986 to 1994, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 744 games against 506 across 25 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Bob Welch comes out ahead, it is in saves (8 to 0). The per-nine rows read 6.06 strikeouts and 1.80 walks for Greg Maddux, 5.73 and 3.01 for Bob Welch. Both had the same role: Greg Maddux was mainly a starter (740 starts in 744 games); Bob Welch was mainly a starter (462 starts in 506 games). Greg Maddux allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.14 WHIP to Bob Welch's 1.27.
Greg Maddux vs Bob Welch: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Greg Maddux or Bob Welch?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Greg Maddux leads Bob Welch in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Greg Maddux, with 3.16 to Bob Welch's 3.47.
- Who won more games?
- Greg Maddux, with 355 to Bob Welch's 211.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Bob Welch's 1,969.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Bob Welch's 1.27.