Justin Verlander vs Adam Wainwright: Career Stats Comparison
Justin Verlander has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Justin Verlander has played 2005–present 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
Justin Verlander (2005–present) and Adam Wainwright (2005–2023) — both debuted in the 2000s. Justin Verlander has 266 wins and 3,560 strikeouts through the 2026 season; Adam Wainwright finished with 200 wins and 2,202 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Justin Verlander, in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Justin Verlander, with 3.33 to Adam Wainwright's 3.53.
- Who won more games? Justin Verlander, with 266 to Adam Wainwright's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Adam Wainwright's 2,202.
- Who had the better WHIP? Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Adam Wainwright's 1.24.
- How many innings did each pitch? Justin Verlander 3,576.2, Adam Wainwright 2,668.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Adam Wainwright, with 11 to Justin Verlander's 9.
Justin Verlander
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | Justin Verlander | Adam Wainwright |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 266 | 200 |
| Losses not scored | 159 | 128 |
| Games not scored | 557 | 478 |
| Games Started not scored | 557 | 411 |
| Complete Games | 26 | Leads: 28 |
| Shutouts | 9 | Leads: 11 |
| Saves not scored | 0 | 3 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,560 | 2,202 |
| Walks not scored | 1,007 | 736 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,057 | 2,577 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 374 | 233 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,576.2 | 2,668.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.33 | 3.53 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.24 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.96 | 7.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.53 | Leads: 2.48 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander outpaces Adam Wainwright 68,171 to 44,617 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,246 PIV per season to 2,479, across 21 seasons to 18. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Justin Verlander — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Adam Wainwright — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Justin Verlander leads 5 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and others. Adam Wainwright leads 3: complete games, shutouts, and walks per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Justin Verlander. PIV agrees: Justin Verlander grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Justin Verlander and Adam Wainwright careers compare
Justin Verlander and Adam Wainwright were active at the same time between 2005 and 2023. With 557 games against 478 across 21 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Adam Wainwright's edges on the table are complete games (28 to 26), shutouts (11 to 9), and walks per nine (2.48 to 2.53). The per-nine rows read 8.96 strikeouts and 2.53 walks for Justin Verlander, 7.43 and 2.48 for Adam Wainwright. Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games), and Adam Wainwright was mainly a starter (411 starts in 478 games). Justin Verlander allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.14 WHIP to Adam Wainwright's 1.24. Justin Verlander's totals run through the 2026 season.
Justin Verlander vs Adam Wainwright: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Justin Verlander or Adam Wainwright?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Justin Verlander leads Adam Wainwright in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Justin Verlander, with 3.33 to Adam Wainwright's 3.53.
- Who won more games?
- Justin Verlander, with 266 to Adam Wainwright's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Adam Wainwright's 2,202.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Adam Wainwright's 1.24.