John Smoltz vs David Wells: Career Stats Comparison
John Smoltz has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). John Smoltz played 1988–2009 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
John Smoltz (1988–2009) and David Wells (1987–2007) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. John Smoltz finished with 213 wins and 3,084 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? John Smoltz, with 3.33 to David Wells's 4.13.
- Who won more games? David Wells, with 239 to John Smoltz's 213.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? John Smoltz, with 3,084 to David Wells's 2,201.
- Who had the better WHIP? John Smoltz, with 1.18 to David Wells's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? John Smoltz, with 3,473.0 to David Wells's 3,439.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? John Smoltz, with 16 to David Wells's 12.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? John Smoltz, with 91,907 career Pitcher PIV to David Wells's 31,301.
John Smoltz
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | John Smoltz | David Wells |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 213 | Leads: 239 |
| Losses not scored | 155 | 157 |
| Games | Leads: 723 | 660 |
| Games Started | 481 | Leads: 489 |
| Complete Games | 53 | Leads: 54 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 16 | 12 |
| Saves | Leads: 154 | 13 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,084 | 2,201 |
| Walks not scored | 1,010 | 719 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,074 | 3,635 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 288 | 407 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,473.0 | 3,439.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.33 | 4.13 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.99 | 5.76 |
| BB/9 | 2.62 | Leads: 1.88 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Smoltz outpaces David Wells 91,907 to 31,301 — driven by per-season impact — 4,178 PIV per season to 1,304 — rather than by longevity, since John Smoltz played 22 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).
John Smoltz — 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, John Smoltz leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while David Wells owns wins. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to John Smoltz. PIV agrees: John Smoltz grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the John Smoltz and David Wells careers compare
John Smoltz and David Wells were active at the same time between 1988 and 2007. The two careers are close in length, 723 games for John Smoltz and 660 for David Wells across 22 and 24 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for David Wells are wins (239 to 213), starts (489 to 481), and complete games (54 to 53). The per-nine rows read 7.99 strikeouts and 2.62 walks for John Smoltz, 5.76 and 1.88 for David Wells. John Smoltz split time between starting and relief (481 starts in 723 games), while David Wells was mainly a starter (489 starts in 660 games).
John Smoltz vs David Wells: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John Smoltz or David Wells?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, John Smoltz leads David Wells in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- John Smoltz, with 3.33 to David Wells's 4.13.
- Who won more games?
- David Wells, with 239 to John Smoltz's 213.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- John Smoltz, with 3,084 to David Wells's 2,201.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- John Smoltz, with 1.18 to David Wells's 1.27.