Johan Santana vs Adam Wainwright: Career Stats Comparison
Adam Wainwright has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Johan Santana played 2000–2012 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
Johan Santana (2000–2012) and Adam Wainwright (2005–2023) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Johan Santana finished with 139 wins and 1,988 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? Johan Santana, with 3.20 to Adam Wainwright's 3.53.
- Who won more games? Adam Wainwright, with 200 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Adam Wainwright, with 2,202 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP? Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Adam Wainwright's 1.24.
- Who pitched more innings? Adam Wainwright, with 2,668.1 to Johan Santana's 2,025.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Adam Wainwright, with 11 to Johan Santana's 10.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Johan Santana, with 48,732 career Pitcher PIV to Adam Wainwright's 44,617.
Johan Santana
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 | Johan Santana | Adam Wainwright |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 139 | Leads: 200 |
| Losses not scored | 78 | 128 |
| Games | 360 | Leads: 478 |
| Games Started | 284 | Leads: 411 |
| Complete Games | 15 | Leads: 28 |
| Shutouts | 10 | Leads: 11 |
| Saves | 1 | Leads: 3 |
| Strikeouts | 1,988 | Leads: 2,202 |
| Walks not scored | 567 | 736 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,726 | 2,577 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 220 | 233 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,025.2 | Leads: 2,668.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.20 | 3.53 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.13 | 1.24 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.83 | 7.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.52 | Leads: 2.48 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johan Santana leads Adam Wainwright 48,732 to 44,617 — driven by per-season impact — 4,061 PIV per season to 2,479 — rather than by longevity, since Johan Santana played 12 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).
Johan Santana — 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, Johan Santana leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Adam Wainwright owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Johan Santana. PIV agrees: Johan Santana grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Johan Santana and Adam Wainwright careers compare
Johan Santana and Adam Wainwright were active at the same time between 2005 and 2012. With 360 games against 478 across 12 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Johan Santana comes out ahead, it is in ERA (3.20 to 3.53), WHIP (1.13 to 1.24), and strikeouts per nine (8.83 to 7.43). The per-nine rows read 8.83 strikeouts and 2.52 walks for Johan Santana, 7.43 and 2.48 for Adam Wainwright. Both had the same role: Johan Santana was mainly a starter (284 starts in 360 games); Adam Wainwright was mainly a starter (411 starts in 478 games). Johan Santana allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.13 WHIP to Adam Wainwright's 1.24.
Johan Santana vs Adam Wainwright: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Johan Santana or Adam Wainwright?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Adam Wainwright leads Johan Santana in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Johan Santana, with 3.20 to Adam Wainwright's 3.53.
- Who won more games?
- Adam Wainwright, with 200 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Adam Wainwright, with 2,202 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Adam Wainwright's 1.24.