Troy Percival vs Kerry Wood: Career Stats Comparison
Kerry Wood has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Troy Percival played 1995–2009 as a pitcher; Kerry Wood played 1998–2012 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
Troy Percival (1995–2009) and Kerry Wood (1998–2012) — both came up during the 1990s, so the matchup is a direct one. Troy Percival finished with 35 wins and 781 strikeouts; Kerry Wood finished with 86 wins and 1,582 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Troy Percival, with 3.17 to Kerry Wood's 3.67.
- Who won more games? Kerry Wood, with 86 to Troy Percival's 35.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Kerry Wood, with 1,582 to Troy Percival's 781.
- Who had the better WHIP? Troy Percival, with 1.11 to Kerry Wood's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Kerry Wood, with 1,380.0 to Troy Percival's 708.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Kerry Wood, with 5 to Troy Percival's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Kerry Wood, with 20,852 career Pitcher PIV to Troy Percival's 10,919.
Troy Percival
Kerry Wood
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 | Troy Percival | Kerry Wood |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 35 | Leads: 86 |
| Losses not scored | 43 | 75 |
| Games | Leads: 703 | 446 |
| Games Started | 1 | Leads: 178 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 11 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 5 |
| Saves | Leads: 358 | 63 |
| Strikeouts | 781 | Leads: 1,582 |
| Walks not scored | 306 | 666 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 479 | 1,083 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 85 | 148 |
| Innings Pitched | 708.2 | Leads: 1,380.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.17 | 3.67 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.11 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | 9.92 | Leads: 10.32 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.89 | 4.34 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Kerry Wood outpaces Troy Percival 20,852 to 10,919 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,390 PIV per season to 780, across 15 seasons to 14. 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).
Troy Percival
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Kerry Wood — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Kerry Wood leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Troy Percival owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Kerry Wood. PIV agrees: Kerry Wood grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Troy Percival and Kerry Wood careers compare
The careers of Troy Percival (1995–2009) and Kerry Wood (1998–2012) overlapped from 1998 to 2009, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Troy Percival has the far longer record, 703 games against 446 across 14 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. By rate, Troy Percival struck out 9.92 and walked 3.89 per nine innings; Kerry Wood struck out 10.32 and walked 4.34. Their roles differ: Troy Percival worked mostly in relief (1 starts in 703 games, 358 saves); Kerry Wood split time between starting and relief (178 starts in 446 games). In WHIP, Troy Percival's 1.11 beats Kerry Wood's 1.27.
Troy Percival vs Kerry Wood: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Troy Percival or Kerry Wood?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Kerry Wood leads Troy Percival in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Troy Percival, with 3.17 to Kerry Wood's 3.67.
- Who won more games?
- Kerry Wood, with 86 to Troy Percival's 35.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Kerry Wood, with 1,582 to Troy Percival's 781.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Troy Percival, with 1.11 to Kerry Wood's 1.27.