CC Sabathia vs Adam Wainwright: Career Stats Comparison
CC Sabathia has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). CC Sabathia played 2001–2019 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
CC Sabathia (2001–2019) and Adam Wainwright (2005–2023) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. CC Sabathia finished with 251 wins and 3,093 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 CC Sabathia's 3.74.
- Who won more games? CC Sabathia, with 251 to Adam Wainwright's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? CC Sabathia, with 3,093 to Adam Wainwright's 2,202.
- Who had the better WHIP? Adam Wainwright, with 1.24 to CC Sabathia's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? CC Sabathia, with 3,577.1 to Adam Wainwright's 2,668.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? CC Sabathia, with 12 to Adam Wainwright's 11.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Adam Wainwright, with 44,617 career Pitcher PIV to CC Sabathia's 43,212.
CC Sabathia
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | CC Sabathia | Adam Wainwright |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 251 | 200 |
| Losses not scored | 161 | 128 |
| Games | Leads: 561 | 478 |
| Games Started | Leads: 560 | 411 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 38 | 28 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 12 | 11 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 3 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,093 | 2,202 |
| Walks not scored | 1,099 | 736 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,404 | 2,577 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 382 | 233 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,577.1 | 2,668.1 |
| ERA | 3.74 | Leads: 3.53 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.24 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.78 | 7.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.76 | Leads: 2.48 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Adam Wainwright edges CC Sabathia 44,617 to 43,212 — driven by per-season impact — 2,479 PIV per season to 2,161 — rather than by longevity, since Adam Wainwright played 18 seasons to CC Sabathia's 20. 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).
CC Sabathia — 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, CC Sabathia leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Adam Wainwright owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to CC Sabathia. Note that PIV actually grades Adam Wainwright ahead, which means CC Sabathia's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the CC Sabathia and Adam Wainwright careers compare
The careers of CC Sabathia (2001–2019) and Adam Wainwright (2005–2023) overlapped from 2005 to 2019, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 561 games against 478 across 20 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Adam Wainwright comes out ahead, it is in saves (3 to 0), ERA (3.53 to 3.74), and WHIP (1.24 to 1.26). The per-nine rows read 7.78 strikeouts and 2.76 walks for CC Sabathia, 7.43 and 2.48 for Adam Wainwright. Both had the same role: CC Sabathia was mainly a starter (560 starts in 561 games); Adam Wainwright was mainly a starter (411 starts in 478 games).
CC Sabathia vs Adam Wainwright: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, CC Sabathia or Adam Wainwright?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, CC Sabathia leads Adam Wainwright in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Adam Wainwright, with 3.53 to CC Sabathia's 3.74.
- Who won more games?
- CC Sabathia, with 251 to Adam Wainwright's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- CC Sabathia, with 3,093 to Adam Wainwright's 2,202.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Adam Wainwright, with 1.24 to CC Sabathia's 1.26.