Jake Peavy vs Matt Thornton: Career Stats Comparison
Jake Peavy (2002–2016) and Matt Thornton (2004–2016) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jake Peavy compiled 152 wins and 2,207 strikeouts; Matt Thornton put up 36 wins and 642 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Jake Peavy
Matt Thornton
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 | Jake Peavy | Matt Thornton |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 152 | 36 |
| Losses | 126 | 46 |
| Games | 388 | 748 |
| Games Started | 377 | 1 |
| Complete Games | 15 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 6 | 0 |
| Saves | 0 | 23 |
| Strikeouts | 2,207 | 642 |
| Walks | 708 | 251 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,134 | 594 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 259 | 52 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,377 | 662 |
| ERA | 3.63 | 3.41 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | 1.28 |
| K/9 | 8.36 | 8.72 |
| BB/9 | 2.68 | 3.41 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jake Peavy outpaces Matt Thornton 34,745 to 12,976 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,930 vs 865 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).
Jake Peavy — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Matt Thornton — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jake Peavy leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Matt Thornton owns ERA and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jake Peavy. PIV agrees: Jake Peavy grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.