Jason Schmidt vs David Wells: Career Stats Comparison
David Wells has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; 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
Jason Schmidt (1995–2009) and David Wells (1987–2007) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jason Schmidt finished with 130 wins and 1,758 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? Jason Schmidt, with 3.96 to David Wells's 4.13.
- Who won more games? David Wells, with 239 to Jason Schmidt's 130.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? David Wells, with 2,201 to Jason Schmidt's 1,758.
- Who had the better WHIP? David Wells, with 1.27 to Jason Schmidt's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? David Wells, with 3,439.0 to Jason Schmidt's 1,996.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? David Wells, with 12 to Jason Schmidt's 9.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jason Schmidt, with 34,873 career Pitcher PIV to David Wells's 31,301.
Jason Schmidt
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 | Jason Schmidt | David Wells |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 130 | Leads: 239 |
| Losses not scored | 96 | 157 |
| Games | 323 | Leads: 660 |
| Games Started | 314 | Leads: 489 |
| Complete Games | 20 | Leads: 54 |
| Shutouts | 9 | Leads: 12 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 13 |
| Strikeouts | 1,758 | Leads: 2,201 |
| Walks not scored | 792 | 719 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,846 | 3,635 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 184 | 407 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,996.1 | Leads: 3,439.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.96 | 4.13 |
| WHIP | 1.32 | Leads: 1.27 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.93 | 5.76 |
| BB/9 | 3.57 | Leads: 1.88 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jason Schmidt leads David Wells 34,873 to 31,301 — driven by per-season impact — 2,180 PIV per season to 1,304 — rather than by longevity, since Jason Schmidt played 16 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).
Jason Schmidt — 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, David Wells leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Jason Schmidt owns ERA and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Wells. Note that PIV actually grades Jason Schmidt ahead, which means David Wells's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jason Schmidt and David Wells careers compare
From 1995 through 2007, Jason Schmidt and David Wells were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Jason Schmidt appeared in 323 games to David Wells's 660. The green cells for Jason Schmidt are ERA (3.96 to 4.13) and strikeouts per nine (7.93 to 5.76). The per-nine rows read 7.93 strikeouts and 3.57 walks for Jason Schmidt, 5.76 and 1.88 for David Wells. Jason Schmidt was mainly a starter (314 starts in 323 games), and David Wells was mainly a starter (489 starts in 660 games). In WHIP, David Wells's 1.27 beats Jason Schmidt's 1.32.
Jason Schmidt vs David Wells: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jason Schmidt or David Wells?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Wells leads Jason Schmidt in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jason Schmidt, with 3.96 to David Wells's 4.13.
- Who won more games?
- David Wells, with 239 to Jason Schmidt's 130.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- David Wells, with 2,201 to Jason Schmidt's 1,758.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- David Wells, with 1.27 to Jason Schmidt's 1.32.