Jason Schmidt vs Adam Wainwright: Career Stats Comparison
Adam Wainwright has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jason Schmidt played 1995–2009 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
Jason Schmidt (1995–2009) and Adam Wainwright (2005–2023) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jason Schmidt finished with 130 wins and 1,758 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 Jason Schmidt's 3.96.
- Who won more games? Adam Wainwright, with 200 to Jason Schmidt's 130.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Adam Wainwright, with 2,202 to Jason Schmidt's 1,758.
- Who had the better WHIP? Adam Wainwright, with 1.24 to Jason Schmidt's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Adam Wainwright, with 2,668.1 to Jason Schmidt's 1,996.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Adam Wainwright, with 11 to Jason Schmidt's 9.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Adam Wainwright, with 44,617 career Pitcher PIV to Jason Schmidt's 34,873.
Jason Schmidt
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, and the 1990s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jason Schmidt | Adam Wainwright |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 130 | Leads: 200 |
| Losses not scored | 96 | 128 |
| Games | 323 | Leads: 478 |
| Games Started | 314 | Leads: 411 |
| Complete Games | 20 | Leads: 28 |
| Shutouts | 9 | Leads: 11 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 3 |
| Strikeouts | 1,758 | Leads: 2,202 |
| Walks not scored | 792 | 736 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,846 | 2,577 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 184 | 233 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,996.1 | Leads: 2,668.1 |
| ERA | 3.96 | Leads: 3.53 |
| WHIP | 1.32 | Leads: 1.24 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.93 | 7.43 |
| BB/9 | 3.57 | Leads: 2.48 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Adam Wainwright leads Jason Schmidt 44,617 to 34,873 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,479 PIV per season to 2,180, across 18 seasons to 16. 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).
Jason Schmidt — 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, Adam Wainwright leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Jason Schmidt owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Adam Wainwright. PIV agrees: Adam Wainwright grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jason Schmidt and Adam Wainwright careers compare
Jason Schmidt and Adam Wainwright were active at the same time between 2005 and 2009. With 323 games against 478 across 16 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Jason Schmidt comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (7.93 to 7.43). The per-nine rows read 7.93 strikeouts and 3.57 walks for Jason Schmidt, 7.43 and 2.48 for Adam Wainwright. Jason Schmidt was mainly a starter (314 starts in 323 games), and Adam Wainwright was mainly a starter (411 starts in 478 games). Adam Wainwright allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.24 WHIP to Jason Schmidt's 1.32.
Jason Schmidt vs Adam Wainwright: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jason Schmidt or Adam Wainwright?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Adam Wainwright leads Jason Schmidt in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Adam Wainwright, with 3.53 to Jason Schmidt's 3.96.
- Who won more games?
- Adam Wainwright, with 200 to Jason Schmidt's 130.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Adam Wainwright, with 2,202 to Jason Schmidt's 1,758.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Adam Wainwright, with 1.24 to Jason Schmidt's 1.32.