Andy Pettitte vs David Wells: Career Stats Comparison
David Wells 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; 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
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 finished with 256 wins and 2,448 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? Andy Pettitte, with 3.85 to David Wells's 4.13.
- Who won more games? Andy Pettitte, with 256 to David Wells's 239.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Andy Pettitte, with 2,448 to David Wells's 2,201.
- Who had the better WHIP? David Wells, with 1.27 to Andy Pettitte's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? David Wells, with 3,439.0 to Andy Pettitte's 3,316.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? David Wells, with 12 to Andy Pettitte's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Andy Pettitte, with 57,293 career Pitcher PIV to David Wells's 31,301.
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. 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 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Andy Pettitte | David Wells |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 256 | 239 |
| Losses not scored | 153 | 157 |
| Games | 531 | Leads: 660 |
| Games Started | Leads: 521 | 489 |
| Complete Games | 26 | Leads: 54 |
| Shutouts | 4 | Leads: 12 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 13 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,448 | 2,201 |
| Walks not scored | 1,031 | 719 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,448 | 3,635 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 288 | 407 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,316.0 | Leads: 3,439.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.85 | 4.13 |
| WHIP | 1.35 | Leads: 1.27 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.64 | 5.76 |
| BB/9 | 2.80 | Leads: 1.88 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Andy Pettitte outpaces David Wells 57,293 to 31,301 — driven by per-season impact — 3,183 PIV per season to 1,304 — rather than by longevity, since Andy Pettitte 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).
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.
Related Matchups
How the Andy Pettitte and David Wells careers compare
Andy Pettitte and David Wells were active at the same time between 1995 and 2007. With 531 games against 660 across 18 and 24 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; David Wells struck out 5.76 and walked 1.88. Both had the same role: Andy Pettitte was mainly a starter (521 starts in 531 games); David Wells was mainly a starter (489 starts in 660 games). In WHIP, David Wells's 1.27 beats Andy Pettitte's 1.35. Andy Pettitte owns the better peak by ERA: 2.39 ERA in 2005 for Andy Pettitte against 3.04 ERA in 1995 for David Wells.
Andy Pettitte vs David Wells: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Andy Pettitte or David Wells?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Wells leads Andy Pettitte in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Andy Pettitte, with 3.85 to David Wells's 4.13.
- Who won more games?
- Andy Pettitte, with 256 to David Wells's 239.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Andy Pettitte, with 2,448 to David Wells's 2,201.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- David Wells, with 1.27 to Andy Pettitte's 1.35.