John Olerud vs David Wells: Career Stats Comparison
John Olerud and David Wells played different roles, so their careers are compared side by side rather than scored against each other. John Olerud played 1989–2005 as a hitter; David Wells played 1987–2007 as a pitcher.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
John Olerud (1989–2005) and David Wells (1987–2007) played opposite sides of the ball, so there is no honest category-by-category scoreboard for this matchup. David Wells pitched, totalling 239 wins and 2,201 strikeouts; John Olerud hit, totalling 2,239 hits and 255 home runs. Each career is shown below in its own discipline, with PIV as the one measure that spans both roles.
Quick answer
- Who has the higher career PIV? David Wells, with 31,301 career PIV to John Olerud's 28,281.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
John Olerud
David Wells
Career Stats, Each in His Own Role
David Wells is shown on pitching lines and John Olerud on batting lines. Nothing is marked as a category winner, because these two cards measure different jobs — reading them cell against cell would tell you nothing.
John Olerud — Hitter
| Statistic | John Olerud |
|---|---|
| Games | 2,234 |
| At-Bats | 7,592 |
| Runs | 1,139 |
| Hits | 2,239 |
| Doubles | 500 |
| Triples | 13 |
| Home Runs | 255 |
| RBI | 1,230 |
| Walks | 1,275 |
| Strikeouts | 1,016 |
| Stolen Bases | 11 |
| Batting Avg | .295 |
| On-Base % | .398 |
| Slugging % | .465 |
| OPS | .863 |
David Wells — Pitcher
| Statistic | David Wells |
|---|---|
| Wins | 239 |
| Losses | 157 |
| Games | 660 |
| Games Started | 489 |
| Complete Games | 54 |
| Shutouts | 12 |
| Saves | 13 |
| Strikeouts | 2,201 |
| Walks | 719 |
| Hits Allowed | 3,635 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 407 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,439.0 |
| ERA | 4.13 |
| WHIP | 1.27 |
| K/9 | 5.76 |
| BB/9 | 1.88 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
John Olerud carries a career batting PIV of 28,281; David Wells carries a career pitching PIV of 31,301. David Wells is the higher of the two at 31,301 to 28,281. Both figures adjust each season to league baselines, but batting PIV and pitching PIV are calibrated separately — so read this as a directional comparison of career impact, not a settled verdict.
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 within his own role — ERA for the pitcher (120+ innings), OPS for the hitter (300+ at-bats).
John Olerud — top 3 seasons by OPS
David Wells — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
There is no head-to-head scoreboard for David Wells and John Olerud: one pitched and one hit, and no counting stat means the same thing on both cards. On PIV — the one metric that scores both roles against league baselines — David Wells grades higher, 31,301 to 28,281. Because the batting and pitching versions of PIV are calibrated separately, that gap is a directional signal about career impact rather than a ruling on who was the better ballplayer. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the John Olerud and David Wells careers compare
John Olerud and David Wells were active at the same time between 1989 and 2005. As a hitter, John Olerud collected 2,239 hits and 255 home runs with a .863 OPS. As a pitcher, David Wells went 239-157 with a 4.13 ERA and 2,201 strikeouts. Because one is a pitcher and the other a hitter, the page keeps their statistics in separate tables and uses PIV as the shared yardstick. Their best seasons are measured differently, 1.072 OPS in 1993 for John Olerud and 3.04 ERA in 1995 for David Wells.
John Olerud vs David Wells: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has the higher career PIV?
- David Wells, with 31,301 career PIV to John Olerud's 28,281.
- Who won more championships?
- Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
- How do John Olerud and David Wells compare?
- John Olerud played 1989–2005 and David Wells played 1987–2007; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.