Jose Rijo vs David Wells: Career Stats Comparison
Jose Rijo (1984–2002) and David Wells (1987–2007) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jose Rijo compiled 116 wins and 1,606 strikeouts; David Wells put up 239 wins and 2,201 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
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 | Jose Rijo | David Wells |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 116 | 239 |
| Losses | 91 | 157 |
| Games | 376 | 660 |
| Games Started | 269 | 489 |
| Complete Games | 22 | 54 |
| Shutouts | 4 | 12 |
| Saves | 3 | 13 |
| Strikeouts | 1,606 | 2,201 |
| Walks | 663 | 719 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,710 | 3,635 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 147 | 407 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,880 | 3,439 |
| ERA | 3.24 | 4.13 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | 7.69 | 5.76 |
| BB/9 | 3.17 | 1.88 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jose Rijo leads David Wells 35,808 to 31,301 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,558 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).
Jose Rijo — 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, Jose Rijo leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while David Wells owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jose Rijo. PIV agrees: Jose Rijo grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.