Roy Oswalt vs Adam Wainwright: Career Stats Comparison
Roy Oswalt (2001–2013) and Adam Wainwright (2005–present) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Roy Oswalt compiled 163 wins and 1,852 strikeouts; Adam Wainwright put up 200 wins and 2,202 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Roy Oswalt
Adam Wainwright
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 | Roy Oswalt | Adam Wainwright |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 163 | 200 |
| Losses | 102 | 128 |
| Games | 365 | 478 |
| Games Started | 341 | 411 |
| Complete Games | 20 | 28 |
| Shutouts | 8 | 11 |
| Saves | 0 | 3 |
| Strikeouts | 1,852 | 2,202 |
| Walks | 520 | 736 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,199 | 2,577 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 197 | 233 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,245 | 2,668 |
| ERA | 3.36 | 3.53 |
| WHIP | 1.21 | 1.24 |
| K/9 | 7.42 | 7.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.08 | 2.48 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roy Oswalt leads Adam Wainwright 55,095 to 44,617 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,935 vs 2,479 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Roy Oswalt — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Adam Wainwright — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Adam Wainwright leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Roy Oswalt owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Adam Wainwright. Note that PIV actually grades Roy Oswalt ahead, which means Adam Wainwright's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.