Andy Pettitte vs David Wells: Career Stats Comparison
Andy Pettitte (1995–2013) and David Wells (1987–2007) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Andy Pettitte compiled 256 wins and 2,448 strikeouts; David Wells put up 239 wins and 2,201 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Andy Pettitte
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Andy Pettitte | David Wells |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 256 | 239 |
| Losses | 153 | 157 |
| Games | 531 | 660 |
| Games Started | 521 | 489 |
| Complete Games | 26 | 54 |
| Shutouts | 4 | 12 |
| Saves | 0 | 13 |
| Strikeouts | 2,448 | 2,201 |
| Walks | 1,031 | 719 |
| Hits Allowed | 3,448 | 3,635 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 288 | 407 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,316 | 3,439 |
| ERA | 3.85 | 4.13 |
| WHIP | 1.35 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | 6.64 | 5.76 |
| BB/9 | 2.80 | 1.88 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Andy Pettitte outpaces David Wells 57,293 to 31,301 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,183 vs 1,304 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).
Andy Pettitte — 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, Andy Pettitte leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while David Wells owns WHIP and innings pitched. 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.