Stephen Strasburg vs Adam Wainwright: Career Stats Comparison
Adam Wainwright 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). Stephen Strasburg played 2010–2022 as a pitcher; Adam Wainwright played 2005–2023 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
Stephen Strasburg (2010–2022) and Adam Wainwright (2005–2023) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Stephen Strasburg finished with 113 wins and 1,723 strikeouts; Adam Wainwright finished with 200 wins and 2,202 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Stephen Strasburg, with 3.24 to Adam Wainwright's 3.53.
- Who won more games? Adam Wainwright, with 200 to Stephen Strasburg's 113.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Adam Wainwright, with 2,202 to Stephen Strasburg's 1,723.
- Who had the better WHIP? Stephen Strasburg, with 1.10 to Adam Wainwright's 1.24.
- Who pitched more innings? Adam Wainwright, with 2,668.1 to Stephen Strasburg's 1,470.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Adam Wainwright, with 11 to Stephen Strasburg's 2.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Adam Wainwright, with 44,617 career Pitcher PIV to Stephen Strasburg's 41,364.
Stephen Strasburg
Adam Wainwright
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 2010s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Stephen Strasburg | Adam Wainwright |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 113 | Leads: 200 |
| Losses not scored | 62 | 128 |
| Games | 247 | Leads: 478 |
| Games Started | 247 | Leads: 411 |
| Complete Games | 2 | Leads: 28 |
| Shutouts | 2 | Leads: 11 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 3 |
| Strikeouts | 1,723 | Leads: 2,202 |
| Walks not scored | 394 | 736 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,217 | 2,577 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 149 | 233 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,470.0 | Leads: 2,668.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.24 | 3.53 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.10 | 1.24 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.55 | 7.43 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.41 | 2.48 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Adam Wainwright edges Stephen Strasburg 44,617 to 41,364 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Adam Wainwright played 18 seasons to Stephen Strasburg's 13, while Stephen Strasburg carries the higher per-season figure (3,182 to 2,479). 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).
Stephen Strasburg — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Adam Wainwright — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Adam Wainwright leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Stephen Strasburg owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Adam Wainwright. PIV agrees: Adam Wainwright grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Stephen Strasburg and Adam Wainwright careers compare
The careers of Stephen Strasburg (2010–2022) and Adam Wainwright (2005–2023) overlapped from 2010 to 2022, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 247 games of Stephen Strasburg with 478 of Adam Wainwright across 13 and 18 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Stephen Strasburg are ERA (3.24 to 3.53), WHIP (1.10 to 1.24), and strikeouts per nine (10.55 to 7.43). The per-nine rows read 10.55 strikeouts and 2.41 walks for Stephen Strasburg, 7.43 and 2.48 for Adam Wainwright. Stephen Strasburg was mainly a starter (247 starts in 247 games), and Adam Wainwright was mainly a starter (411 starts in 478 games).
Stephen Strasburg vs Adam Wainwright: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Stephen Strasburg or Adam Wainwright?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Adam Wainwright leads Stephen Strasburg in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Stephen Strasburg, with 3.24 to Adam Wainwright's 3.53.
- Who won more games?
- Adam Wainwright, with 200 to Stephen Strasburg's 113.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Adam Wainwright, with 2,202 to Stephen Strasburg's 1,723.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Stephen Strasburg, with 1.10 to Adam Wainwright's 1.24.