Pedro Martinez vs Carlos Zambrano: Career Stats Comparison
Pedro Martinez has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; 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
Pedro Martinez (1992–2009) and Carlos Zambrano (2001–2012) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Pedro Martinez finished with 219 wins and 3,154 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? Pedro Martinez, with 2.93 to Carlos Zambrano's 3.66.
- Who won more games? Pedro Martinez, with 219 to Carlos Zambrano's 132.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Pedro Martinez, with 3,154 to Carlos Zambrano's 1,637.
- Who had the better WHIP? Pedro Martinez, with 1.05 to Carlos Zambrano's 1.33.
- Who pitched more innings? Pedro Martinez, with 2,827.1 to Carlos Zambrano's 1,959.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Pedro Martinez, with 17 to Carlos Zambrano's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Pedro Martinez, with 113,314 career Pitcher PIV to Carlos Zambrano's 16,362.
Pedro Martinez
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 1990s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Pedro Martinez | Carlos Zambrano |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 219 | 132 |
| Losses not scored | 100 | 91 |
| Games | Leads: 476 | 354 |
| Games Started | Leads: 409 | 302 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 46 | 10 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 17 | 5 |
| Saves | Leads: 3 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,154 | 1,637 |
| Walks not scored | 760 | 898 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,221 | 1,709 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 239 | 161 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,827.1 | 1,959.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.93 | 3.66 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.05 | 1.33 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.04 | 7.52 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.42 | 4.13 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pedro Martinez outpaces Carlos Zambrano 113,314 to 16,362 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,295 PIV per season to 1,364, 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)
Carlos Zambrano — 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 Carlos Zambrano 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 Carlos Zambrano careers compare
The careers of Pedro Martinez (1992–2009) and Carlos Zambrano (2001–2012) overlapped from 2001 to 2009, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 476 games against 354 across 18 and 12 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Pedro Martinez leads every scored row of the table. By rate, Pedro Martinez struck out 10.04 and walked 2.42 per nine innings; Carlos Zambrano struck out 7.52 and walked 4.13. Pedro Martinez was mainly a starter (409 starts in 476 games), and Carlos Zambrano was mainly a starter (302 starts in 354 games). Pedro Martinez allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.05 WHIP to Carlos Zambrano's 1.33.
Pedro Martinez vs Carlos Zambrano: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Pedro Martinez or Carlos Zambrano?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pedro Martinez leads Carlos Zambrano in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Pedro Martinez, with 2.93 to Carlos Zambrano's 3.66.
- Who won more games?
- Pedro Martinez, with 219 to Carlos Zambrano's 132.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Pedro Martinez, with 3,154 to Carlos Zambrano's 1,637.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Pedro Martinez, with 1.05 to Carlos Zambrano's 1.33.