Greg Maddux vs Carlos Zambrano: Career Stats Comparison
Greg Maddux has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Carlos Zambrano played 2001–2012 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 Carlos Zambrano (2001–2012) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Greg Maddux finished with 355 wins and 3,371 strikeouts; Carlos Zambrano finished with 132 wins and 1,637 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 Carlos Zambrano's 3.66.
- Who won more games? Greg Maddux, with 355 to Carlos Zambrano's 132.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Carlos Zambrano's 1,637.
- Who had the better WHIP? Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Carlos Zambrano's 1.33.
- Who pitched more innings? Greg Maddux, with 5,008.1 to Carlos Zambrano's 1,959.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Greg Maddux, with 35 to Carlos Zambrano's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Greg Maddux, with 133,509 career Pitcher PIV to Carlos Zambrano's 16,362.
Greg Maddux
Carlos Zambrano
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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Greg Maddux | Carlos Zambrano |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 355 | 132 |
| Losses not scored | 227 | 91 |
| Games | Leads: 744 | 354 |
| Games Started | Leads: 740 | 302 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 109 | 10 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 35 | 5 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,371 | 1,637 |
| Walks not scored | 999 | 898 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,726 | 1,709 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 353 | 161 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,008.1 | 1,959.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.16 | 3.66 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.33 |
| K/9 | 6.06 | Leads: 7.52 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.80 | 4.13 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux outpaces Carlos Zambrano 133,509 to 16,362 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,340 PIV per season to 1,364, across 25 seasons to 12. 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)
Carlos Zambrano — 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 Carlos Zambrano 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 Carlos Zambrano careers compare
Greg Maddux and Carlos Zambrano were active at the same time between 2001 and 2008. Greg Maddux has the far longer record, 744 games against 354 across 25 and 12 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Carlos Zambrano comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (7.52 to 6.06). The per-nine rows read 6.06 strikeouts and 1.80 walks for Greg Maddux, 7.52 and 4.13 for Carlos Zambrano. Both had the same role: Greg Maddux was mainly a starter (740 starts in 744 games); Carlos Zambrano was mainly a starter (302 starts in 354 games). The complete-game row, 109 against 10, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games.
Greg Maddux vs Carlos Zambrano: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Greg Maddux or Carlos Zambrano?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Greg Maddux leads Carlos Zambrano in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Greg Maddux, with 3.16 to Carlos Zambrano's 3.66.
- Who won more games?
- Greg Maddux, with 355 to Carlos Zambrano's 132.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Carlos Zambrano's 1,637.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Carlos Zambrano's 1.33.