Paul Skenes vs Zack Wheeler: Career Stats Comparison
Zack Wheeler has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Paul Skenes has played 2024–present as a pitcher; Zack Wheeler has played 2013–present 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
Paul Skenes (2024–present) and Zack Wheeler (2013–present) — breaking in during the 2020s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Paul Skenes has 31 wins and 586 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Zack Wheeler has 127 wins and 2,013 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Zack Wheeler's 3.26.
- Who won more games? Zack Wheeler, with 127 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Zack Wheeler, with 2,013 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP? Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Zack Wheeler's 1.13.
- Who pitched more innings? Zack Wheeler, with 1,890.1 to Paul Skenes's 495.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Zack Wheeler, with 3 to Paul Skenes's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Zack Wheeler, with 39,270 career Pitcher PIV to Paul Skenes's 14,331.
Paul Skenes
Zack Wheeler
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 2020s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Paul Skenes and Zack Wheeler are still active — their totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Paul Skenes | Zack Wheeler |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 31 | Leads: 127 |
| Losses not scored | 24 | 80 |
| Games | 87 | Leads: 311 |
| Games Started | 87 | Leads: 311 |
| Complete Games | 1 | Leads: 5 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 3 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 586 | Leads: 2,013 |
| Walks not scored | 123 | 537 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 376 | 1,598 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 41 | 187 |
| Innings Pitched | 495.0 | Leads: 1,890.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.62 | 3.26 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.01 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.65 | 9.58 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.24 | 2.56 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Zack Wheeler outpaces Paul Skenes 39,270 to 14,331 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Zack Wheeler played 11 seasons to Paul Skenes's 2, while Paul Skenes carries the higher per-season figure (7,166 to 3,570). 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).
Paul Skenes — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Zack Wheeler — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Zack Wheeler leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Paul Skenes owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Zack Wheeler. PIV agrees: Zack Wheeler grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Paul Skenes and Zack Wheeler careers compare
The two careers overlap from 2024 on, with both players still active. Zack Wheeler has the far longer record, 311 games against 87 across 2 and 11 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Paul Skenes are ERA (2.62 to 3.26), WHIP (1.01 to 1.13), and strikeouts per nine (10.65 to 9.58). The per-nine rows read 10.65 strikeouts and 2.24 walks for Paul Skenes, 9.58 and 2.56 for Zack Wheeler. Both had the same role: Paul Skenes was mainly a starter (87 starts in 87 games); Zack Wheeler was mainly a starter (311 starts in 311 games). In WHIP, Paul Skenes's 1.01 beats Zack Wheeler's 1.13. Because Paul Skenes and Zack Wheeler are still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Paul Skenes vs Zack Wheeler: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Paul Skenes or Zack Wheeler?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Zack Wheeler leads Paul Skenes in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Zack Wheeler's 3.26.
- Who won more games?
- Zack Wheeler, with 127 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Zack Wheeler, with 2,013 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Zack Wheeler's 1.13.