Mike Scott vs David Wells: Career Stats Comparison

Mike Scott (1979–1991) and David Wells (1987–2007) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Mike Scott compiled 124 wins and 1,469 strikeouts; David Wells put up 239 wins and 2,201 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Mike Scott

Pitcher · 1979–1991
Wins
124
Losses
108
Strikeouts
1,469
ERA
3.54
WHIP
1.20
IP
2,068
View Mike Scott's full profile →

David Wells

Pitcher · 1987–2007
Wins
239
Losses
157
Strikeouts
2,201
ERA
4.13
WHIP
1.27
IP
3,439
View David Wells's full profile →

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 Mike Scott David Wells
Wins 124 239
Losses 108 157
Games 347 660
Games Started 319 489
Complete Games 45 54
Shutouts 22 12
Saves 3 13
Strikeouts 1,469 2,201
Walks 627 719
Hits Allowed 1,858 3,635
Home Runs Allowed 173 407
Innings Pitched 2,068 3,439
ERA 3.54 4.13
WHIP 1.20 1.27
K/9 6.39 5.76
BB/9 2.73 1.88

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Wells leads Mike Scott 31,301 to 28,073 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,304 vs 2,159 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Mike Scott
28,073
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,159 per season (13 seasons)
David Wells
31,301
Career Pitcher PIV · 1,304 per season (24 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).

Mike Scott — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19862.22 ERA18-10, 306 K in 275 IP
19882.92 ERA14-8, 190 K in 218 IP
19893.10 ERA20-10, 172 K in 229 IP

David Wells — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19953.04 ERA10-3, 83 K in 130 IP
19903.14 ERA11-6, 115 K in 189 IP
19983.49 ERA18-4, 163 K in 214 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, David Wells leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Mike Scott owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Wells. PIV agrees: David Wells grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

Related Matchups