Aaron Nola vs Adam Wainwright: Career Stats Comparison

Aaron Nola (2015–present) and Adam Wainwright (2005–present) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Aaron Nola compiled 109 wins and 1,876 strikeouts; Adam Wainwright put up 200 wins and 2,202 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Aaron Nola

Pitcher · 2015–present
Wins
109
Losses
89
Strikeouts
1,876
ERA
3.83
WHIP
1.15
IP
1,715
View Aaron Nola's full profile →

Adam Wainwright

Pitcher · 2005–present
Wins
200
Losses
128
Strikeouts
2,202
ERA
3.53
WHIP
1.24
IP
2,668
View Adam Wainwright's full profile →

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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.

Statistic Aaron Nola Adam Wainwright
Wins 109 200
Losses 89 128
Games 285 478
Games Started 285 411
Complete Games 6 28
Shutouts 4 11
Saves 0 3
Strikeouts 1,876 2,202
Walks 449 736
Hits Allowed 1,522 2,577
Home Runs Allowed 217 233
Innings Pitched 1,715 2,668
ERA 3.83 3.53
WHIP 1.15 1.24
K/9 9.84 7.43
BB/9 2.36 2.48

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Adam Wainwright outpaces Aaron Nola 44,617 to 31,635 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,479 vs 2,876 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Aaron Nola
31,635
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,876 per season (11 seasons)
Adam Wainwright
44,617
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,479 per season (18 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).

Aaron Nola — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20182.37 ERA17-6, 224 K in 212 IP
20223.25 ERA11-13, 235 K in 205 IP
20173.54 ERA12-11, 184 K in 168 IP

Adam Wainwright — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20142.38 ERA20-9, 179 K in 227 IP
20102.42 ERA20-11, 213 K in 230 IP
20092.63 ERA19-8, 212 K in 233 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Adam Wainwright leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Aaron Nola owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Adam Wainwright. PIV agrees: Adam Wainwright grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

Related Matchups

See These Players in Another Era