John Smoltz vs Mark Wohlers: Career Stats Comparison
John Smoltz 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). John Smoltz played 1988–2009 as a pitcher; Mark Wohlers played 1991–2002 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 Mark Wohlers (1991–2002) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. John Smoltz finished with 213 wins and 3,084 strikeouts; Mark Wohlers finished with 39 wins and 557 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 Mark Wohlers's 3.97.
- Who won more games? John Smoltz, with 213 to Mark Wohlers's 39.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? John Smoltz, with 3,084 to Mark Wohlers's 557.
- Who had the better WHIP? John Smoltz, with 1.18 to Mark Wohlers's 1.38.
- Who pitched more innings? John Smoltz, with 3,473.0 to Mark Wohlers's 553.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? John Smoltz, with 16 to Mark Wohlers's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? John Smoltz, with 91,907 career Pitcher PIV to Mark Wohlers's 13,312.
John Smoltz
Mark Wohlers
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 1980s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | John Smoltz | Mark Wohlers |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 213 | 39 |
| Losses not scored | 155 | 29 |
| Games | Leads: 723 | 533 |
| Games Started | Leads: 481 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 53 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 16 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 154 | 119 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,084 | 557 |
| Walks not scored | 1,010 | 272 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,074 | 490 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 288 | 37 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,473.0 | 553.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.33 | 3.97 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.38 |
| K/9 | 7.99 | Leads: 9.06 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.62 | 4.42 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Smoltz outpaces Mark Wohlers 91,907 to 13,312 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,178 PIV per season to 1,024, across 22 seasons to 13. 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)
Mark Wohlers
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, John Smoltz leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Mark Wohlers owns K/9. 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 Mark Wohlers careers compare
The careers of John Smoltz (1988–2009) and Mark Wohlers (1991–2002) overlapped from 1991 to 2002, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 723 games for John Smoltz and 533 for Mark Wohlers across 22 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Mark Wohlers comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (9.06 to 7.99). By rate, John Smoltz struck out 7.99 and walked 2.62 per nine innings; Mark Wohlers struck out 9.06 and walked 4.42.
John Smoltz vs Mark Wohlers: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John Smoltz or Mark Wohlers?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, John Smoltz leads Mark Wohlers in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- John Smoltz, with 3.33 to Mark Wohlers's 3.97.
- Who won more games?
- John Smoltz, with 213 to Mark Wohlers's 39.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- John Smoltz, with 3,084 to Mark Wohlers's 557.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- John Smoltz, with 1.18 to Mark Wohlers's 1.38.