Andy Pettitte vs Adam Wainwright: Career Stats Comparison
Adam Wainwright 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). Andy Pettitte played 1995–2013 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
Andy Pettitte (1995–2013) and Adam Wainwright (2005–2023) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Andy Pettitte finished with 256 wins and 2,448 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 Andy Pettitte's 3.85.
- Who won more games? Andy Pettitte, with 256 to Adam Wainwright's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Andy Pettitte, with 2,448 to Adam Wainwright's 2,202.
- Who had the better WHIP? Adam Wainwright, with 1.24 to Andy Pettitte's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Andy Pettitte, with 3,316.0 to Adam Wainwright's 2,668.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Adam Wainwright, with 11 to Andy Pettitte's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Andy Pettitte, with 57,293 career Pitcher PIV to Adam Wainwright's 44,617.
Andy Pettitte
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, and the 1990s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Andy Pettitte | Adam Wainwright |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 256 | 200 |
| Losses not scored | 153 | 128 |
| Games | Leads: 531 | 478 |
| Games Started | Leads: 521 | 411 |
| Complete Games | 26 | Leads: 28 |
| Shutouts | 4 | Leads: 11 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 3 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,448 | 2,202 |
| Walks not scored | 1,031 | 736 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,448 | 2,577 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 288 | 233 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,316.0 | 2,668.1 |
| ERA | 3.85 | Leads: 3.53 |
| WHIP | 1.35 | Leads: 1.24 |
| K/9 | 6.64 | Leads: 7.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.80 | Leads: 2.48 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Andy Pettitte leads Adam Wainwright 57,293 to 44,617 — driven by per-season impact — 3,183 PIV per season to 2,479 — rather than by longevity, since Andy Pettitte played 18 seasons to Adam Wainwright'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).
Andy Pettitte — 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, Andy Pettitte leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Adam Wainwright owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Andy Pettitte. PIV agrees: Andy Pettitte grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Andy Pettitte and Adam Wainwright careers compare
Andy Pettitte and Adam Wainwright were active at the same time between 2005 and 2013. With 531 games against 478 across 18 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. By rate, Andy Pettitte struck out 6.64 and walked 2.80 per nine innings; Adam Wainwright struck out 7.43 and walked 2.48. Both had the same role: Andy Pettitte was mainly a starter (521 starts in 531 games); Adam Wainwright was mainly a starter (411 starts in 478 games). Adam Wainwright allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.24 WHIP to Andy Pettitte's 1.35.
Andy Pettitte vs Adam Wainwright: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Andy Pettitte or Adam Wainwright?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Adam Wainwright leads Andy Pettitte in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Adam Wainwright, with 3.53 to Andy Pettitte's 3.85.
- Who won more games?
- Andy Pettitte, with 256 to Adam Wainwright's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Andy Pettitte, with 2,448 to Adam Wainwright's 2,202.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Adam Wainwright, with 1.24 to Andy Pettitte's 1.35.