Duane Ward vs David Wells: Career Stats Comparison
Duane Ward (1986–1995) and David Wells (1987–2007) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Duane Ward compiled 32 wins and 679 strikeouts; David Wells put up 239 wins and 2,201 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Duane Ward | David Wells |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 32 | 239 |
| Losses | 37 | 157 |
| Games | 462 | 660 |
| Games Started | 2 | 489 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 54 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 12 |
| Saves | 121 | 13 |
| Strikeouts | 679 | 2,201 |
| Walks | 286 | 719 |
| Hits Allowed | 551 | 3,635 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 32 | 407 |
| Innings Pitched | 666 | 3,439 |
| ERA | 3.28 | 4.13 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | 9.17 | 5.76 |
| BB/9 | 3.86 | 1.88 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Wells outpaces Duane Ward 31,301 to 18,942 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,304 vs 1,894 per year). 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).
Duane Ward — top 1 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
David Wells — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Wells leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Duane Ward owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Wells. PIV agrees: David Wells grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.