Juan Marichal vs Zack Wheeler: Career Stats Comparison
Juan Marichal 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). Juan Marichal played 1960–1975 as a pitcher; Zack Wheeler has played 2013–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
Juan Marichal (1960–1975) and Zack Wheeler (2013–present) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Juan Marichal finished with 243 wins and 2,303 strikeouts; Zack Wheeler has 127 wins and 2,013 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Zack Wheeler's 3.26.
- Who won more games? Juan Marichal, with 243 to Zack Wheeler's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Juan Marichal, with 2,303 to Zack Wheeler's 2,013.
- Who had the better WHIP? Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Zack Wheeler's 1.13.
- Who pitched more innings? Juan Marichal, with 3,507.1 to Zack Wheeler's 1,890.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Juan Marichal, with 52 to Zack Wheeler's 3.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Juan Marichal, with 48,870 career Pitcher PIV to Zack Wheeler's 39,270.
Juan Marichal
Zack Wheeler
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 1960s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Zack Wheeler is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Juan Marichal | Zack Wheeler |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 243 | 127 |
| Losses not scored | 142 | 80 |
| Games | Leads: 471 | 311 |
| Games Started | Leads: 457 | 311 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 244 | 5 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 52 | 3 |
| Saves | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,303 | 2,013 |
| Walks not scored | 709 | 537 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,153 | 1,598 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 320 | 187 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,507.1 | 1,890.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.89 | 3.26 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.10 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | 5.91 | Leads: 9.58 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.82 | 2.56 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Juan Marichal leads Zack Wheeler 48,870 to 39,270 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Juan Marichal played 16 seasons to Zack Wheeler's 11, while Zack Wheeler carries the higher per-season figure (3,570 to 3,054). 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).
Juan Marichal — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Zack Wheeler — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Juan Marichal leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Zack Wheeler owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Juan Marichal. PIV agrees: Juan Marichal grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Juan Marichal and Zack Wheeler careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Juan Marichal's ended in 1975, and Zack Wheeler debuted in 2013. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Juan Marichal appeared in 471 games to Zack Wheeler's 311. The green cells for Zack Wheeler are strikeouts per nine (9.58 to 5.91). By rate, Juan Marichal struck out 5.91 and walked 1.82 per nine innings; Zack Wheeler struck out 9.58 and walked 2.56. Juan Marichal was mainly a starter (457 starts in 471 games), and Zack Wheeler was mainly a starter (311 starts in 311 games). Complete games (244 to 5) show how differently the two eras used starters. Zack Wheeler's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Juan Marichal vs Zack Wheeler: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Juan Marichal or Zack Wheeler?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Juan Marichal leads Zack Wheeler in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Zack Wheeler's 3.26.
- Who won more games?
- Juan Marichal, with 243 to Zack Wheeler's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Juan Marichal, with 2,303 to Zack Wheeler's 2,013.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Zack Wheeler's 1.13.