Pedro Martinez vs Jack McDowell: Career Stats Comparison
Pedro Martinez 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). Pedro Martinez played 1992–2009 as a pitcher; Jack McDowell played 1987–1999 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
Pedro Martinez (1992–2009) and Jack McDowell (1987–1999) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Pedro Martinez finished with 219 wins and 3,154 strikeouts; Jack McDowell finished with 127 wins and 1,311 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Pedro Martinez, with 2.93 to Jack McDowell's 3.85.
- Who won more games? Pedro Martinez, with 219 to Jack McDowell's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Pedro Martinez, with 3,154 to Jack McDowell's 1,311.
- Who had the better WHIP? Pedro Martinez, with 1.05 to Jack McDowell's 1.30.
- Who pitched more innings? Pedro Martinez, with 2,827.1 to Jack McDowell's 1,889.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Pedro Martinez, with 17 to Jack McDowell's 13.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Pedro Martinez, with 113,314 career Pitcher PIV to Jack McDowell's 17,001.
Pedro Martinez
Jack McDowell
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 1990s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Pedro Martinez | Jack McDowell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 219 | 127 |
| Losses not scored | 100 | 87 |
| Games | Leads: 476 | 277 |
| Games Started | Leads: 409 | 275 |
| Complete Games | 46 | Leads: 62 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 17 | 13 |
| Saves | Leads: 3 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,154 | 1,311 |
| Walks not scored | 760 | 606 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,221 | 1,854 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 239 | 173 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,827.1 | 1,889.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.93 | 3.85 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.05 | 1.30 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.04 | 6.25 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.42 | 2.89 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pedro Martinez outpaces Jack McDowell 113,314 to 17,001 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,295 PIV per season to 1,417, across 18 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).
Pedro Martinez — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Jack McDowell — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pedro Martinez leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Jack McDowell owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pedro Martinez. PIV agrees: Pedro Martinez grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Pedro Martinez and Jack McDowell careers compare
Pedro Martinez and Jack McDowell were active at the same time between 1992 and 1999. Pedro Martinez has the far longer record, 476 games against 277 across 18 and 12 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Jack McDowell comes out ahead, it is in complete games (62 to 46). The per-nine rows read 10.04 strikeouts and 2.42 walks for Pedro Martinez, 6.25 and 2.89 for Jack McDowell. Both had the same role: Pedro Martinez was mainly a starter (409 starts in 476 games); Jack McDowell was mainly a starter (275 starts in 277 games). In WHIP, Pedro Martinez's 1.05 beats Jack McDowell's 1.30.
Pedro Martinez vs Jack McDowell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Pedro Martinez or Jack McDowell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pedro Martinez leads Jack McDowell in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Pedro Martinez, with 2.93 to Jack McDowell's 3.85.
- Who won more games?
- Pedro Martinez, with 219 to Jack McDowell's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Pedro Martinez, with 3,154 to Jack McDowell's 1,311.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Pedro Martinez, with 1.05 to Jack McDowell's 1.30.