Greg Maddux vs David Wells: 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; David Wells played 1987–2007 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 David Wells (1987–2007) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Greg Maddux finished with 355 wins and 3,371 strikeouts; David Wells finished with 239 wins and 2,201 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 David Wells's 4.13.
- Who won more games? Greg Maddux, with 355 to David Wells's 239.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to David Wells's 2,201.
- Who had the better WHIP? Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to David Wells's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Greg Maddux, with 5,008.1 to David Wells's 3,439.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Greg Maddux, with 35 to David Wells's 12.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Greg Maddux, with 133,509 career Pitcher PIV to David Wells's 31,301.
Greg Maddux
David Wells
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 | David Wells |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 355 | 239 |
| Losses not scored | 227 | 157 |
| Games | Leads: 744 | 660 |
| Games Started | Leads: 740 | 489 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 109 | 54 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 35 | 12 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 13 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,371 | 2,201 |
| Walks not scored | 999 | 719 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,726 | 3,635 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 353 | 407 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,008.1 | 3,439.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.16 | 4.13 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.06 | 5.76 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.80 | 1.88 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux outpaces David Wells 133,509 to 31,301 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,340 PIV per season to 1,304, across 25 seasons to 24. 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)
David Wells — 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 David Wells 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 David Wells careers compare
Greg Maddux and David Wells were active at the same time between 1987 and 2007. The two careers are close in length, 744 games for Greg Maddux and 660 for David Wells across 25 and 24 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where David Wells comes out ahead, it is in saves (13 to 0). The per-nine rows read 6.06 strikeouts and 1.80 walks for Greg Maddux, 5.76 and 1.88 for David Wells. Greg Maddux was mainly a starter (740 starts in 744 games), and David Wells was mainly a starter (489 starts in 660 games). In WHIP, Greg Maddux's 1.14 beats David Wells's 1.27.
Greg Maddux vs David Wells: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Greg Maddux or David Wells?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Greg Maddux leads David Wells in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Greg Maddux, with 3.16 to David Wells's 4.13.
- Who won more games?
- Greg Maddux, with 355 to David Wells's 239.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to David Wells's 2,201.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to David Wells's 1.27.