Jake Peavy vs Adam Wainwright: Career Stats Comparison
Adam Wainwright has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jake Peavy played 2002–2016 as a pitcher; Adam Wainwright played 2005–2023 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
Jake Peavy (2002–2016) and Adam Wainwright (2005–2023) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jake Peavy finished with 152 wins and 2,207 strikeouts; Adam Wainwright finished with 200 wins and 2,202 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Adam Wainwright, with 3.53 to Jake Peavy's 3.63.
- Who won more games? Adam Wainwright, with 200 to Jake Peavy's 152.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jake Peavy, with 2,207 to Adam Wainwright's 2,202.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jake Peavy, with 1.20 to Adam Wainwright's 1.24.
- Who pitched more innings? Adam Wainwright, with 2,668.1 to Jake Peavy's 2,377.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Adam Wainwright, with 11 to Jake Peavy's 6.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Adam Wainwright, with 44,617 career Pitcher PIV to Jake Peavy's 34,745.
Jake Peavy
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. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jake Peavy | Adam Wainwright |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 152 | Leads: 200 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 128 |
| Games | 388 | Leads: 478 |
| Games Started | 377 | Leads: 411 |
| Complete Games | 15 | Leads: 28 |
| Shutouts | 6 | Leads: 11 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 3 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,207 | 2,202 |
| Walks not scored | 708 | 736 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,134 | 2,577 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 259 | 233 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,377.0 | Leads: 2,668.1 |
| ERA | 3.63 | Leads: 3.53 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.20 | 1.24 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.36 | 7.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.68 | Leads: 2.48 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Adam Wainwright leads Jake Peavy 44,617 to 34,745 — driven by per-season impact — 2,479 PIV per season to 1,930 — rather than by longevity, since Adam Wainwright played 18 seasons to Jake Peavy's 18. 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).
Jake Peavy — 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, ERA, and innings pitched, while Jake Peavy owns strikeouts, 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
How the Jake Peavy and Adam Wainwright careers compare
From 2005 through 2016, Jake Peavy and Adam Wainwright were in the majors together. With 388 games against 478 across 18 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Jake Peavy are strikeouts (2,207 to 2,202), WHIP (1.20 to 1.24), and strikeouts per nine (8.36 to 7.43). The per-nine rows read 8.36 strikeouts and 2.68 walks for Jake Peavy, 7.43 and 2.48 for Adam Wainwright. Both had the same role: Jake Peavy was mainly a starter (377 starts in 388 games); Adam Wainwright was mainly a starter (411 starts in 478 games). Jake Peavy allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.20 WHIP to Adam Wainwright's 1.24.
Jake Peavy vs Adam Wainwright: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jake Peavy or Adam Wainwright?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Adam Wainwright leads Jake Peavy in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Adam Wainwright, with 3.53 to Jake Peavy's 3.63.
- Who won more games?
- Adam Wainwright, with 200 to Jake Peavy's 152.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jake Peavy, with 2,207 to Adam Wainwright's 2,202.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jake Peavy, with 1.20 to Adam Wainwright's 1.24.