Jake Peavy vs David Wells: Career Stats Comparison
David Wells has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; David Wells played 1987–2007 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 David Wells (1987–2007) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jake Peavy finished with 152 wins and 2,207 strikeouts; David Wells finished with 239 wins and 2,201 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Jake Peavy, with 3.63 to David Wells's 4.13.
- Who won more games? David Wells, with 239 to Jake Peavy's 152.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jake Peavy, with 2,207 to David Wells's 2,201.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jake Peavy, with 1.20 to David Wells's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? David Wells, with 3,439.0 to Jake Peavy's 2,377.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? David Wells, with 12 to Jake Peavy's 6.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jake Peavy, with 34,745 career Pitcher PIV to David Wells's 31,301.
Jake Peavy
David Wells
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, and the 2000s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jake Peavy | David Wells |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 152 | Leads: 239 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 157 |
| Games | 388 | Leads: 660 |
| Games Started | 377 | Leads: 489 |
| Complete Games | 15 | Leads: 54 |
| Shutouts | 6 | Leads: 12 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 13 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,207 | 2,201 |
| Walks not scored | 708 | 719 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,134 | 3,635 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 259 | 407 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,377.0 | Leads: 3,439.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.63 | 4.13 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.20 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.36 | 5.76 |
| BB/9 | 2.68 | Leads: 1.88 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jake Peavy leads David Wells 34,745 to 31,301 — driven by per-season impact — 1,930 PIV per season to 1,304 — rather than by longevity, since Jake Peavy played 18 seasons to David Wells's 24. 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)
David Wells — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jake Peavy leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while David Wells owns wins and innings pitched. 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.
Related Matchups
How the Jake Peavy and David Wells careers compare
The careers of Jake Peavy (2002–2016) and David Wells (1987–2007) overlapped from 2002 to 2007, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Jake Peavy appeared in 388 games to David Wells's 660. Where Jake Peavy comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts (2,207 to 2,201), ERA (3.63 to 4.13), and WHIP (1.20 to 1.27). The per-nine rows read 8.36 strikeouts and 2.68 walks for Jake Peavy, 5.76 and 1.88 for David Wells. Both had the same role: Jake Peavy was mainly a starter (377 starts in 388 games); David Wells was mainly a starter (489 starts in 660 games).
Jake Peavy vs David Wells: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jake Peavy or David Wells?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Wells leads Jake Peavy in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jake Peavy, with 3.63 to David Wells's 4.13.
- Who won more games?
- David Wells, with 239 to Jake Peavy's 152.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jake Peavy, with 2,207 to David Wells's 2,201.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jake Peavy, with 1.20 to David Wells's 1.27.