Zack Wheeler vs Early Wynn: Career Stats Comparison
Early Wynn 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). Zack Wheeler has played 2013–present as a pitcher; Early Wynn played 1939–1963 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
Zack Wheeler (2013–present) and Early Wynn (1939–1963) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1930s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Zack Wheeler has 127 wins and 2,013 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Early Wynn finished with 300 wins and 2,334 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Zack Wheeler, with 3.26 to Early Wynn's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Early Wynn, with 300 to Zack Wheeler's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Early Wynn, with 2,334 to Zack Wheeler's 2,013.
- Who had the better WHIP? Zack Wheeler, with 1.13 to Early Wynn's 1.33.
- Who pitched more innings? Early Wynn, with 4,564.0 to Zack Wheeler's 1,890.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Early Wynn, with 49 to Zack Wheeler's 3.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Zack Wheeler, with 39,270 career Pitcher PIV to Early Wynn's 25,348.
Zack Wheeler
Early Wynn
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 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Zack Wheeler is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Zack Wheeler | Early Wynn |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 127 | Leads: 300 |
| Losses not scored | 80 | 244 |
| Games | 311 | Leads: 691 |
| Games Started | 311 | Leads: 612 |
| Complete Games | 5 | Leads: 290 |
| Shutouts | 3 | Leads: 49 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 15 |
| Strikeouts | 2,013 | Leads: 2,334 |
| Walks not scored | 537 | 1,775 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,598 | 4,291 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 187 | 338 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,890.1 | Leads: 4,564.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.26 | 3.54 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.13 | 1.33 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.58 | 4.60 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.56 | 3.50 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Zack Wheeler outpaces Early Wynn 39,270 to 25,348 — driven by per-season impact — 3,570 PIV per season to 1,102 — rather than by longevity, since Zack Wheeler played 11 seasons to Early Wynn's 23. 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).
Zack Wheeler — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Early Wynn — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Zack Wheeler leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Early Wynn owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Zack Wheeler. PIV agrees: Zack Wheeler grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Zack Wheeler and Early Wynn careers compare
No season is shared: Early Wynn played 1939–1963, Zack Wheeler 2013–present. The table compares 311 games of Zack Wheeler with 691 of Early Wynn across 11 and 23 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Zack Wheeler comes out ahead, it is in ERA (3.26 to 3.54), WHIP (1.13 to 1.33), and strikeouts per nine (9.58 to 4.60). The per-nine rows read 9.58 strikeouts and 2.56 walks for Zack Wheeler, 4.60 and 3.50 for Early Wynn. Zack Wheeler was mainly a starter (311 starts in 311 games), and Early Wynn was mainly a starter (612 starts in 691 games). Complete games (5 to 290) show how differently the two eras used starters. Zack Wheeler's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Zack Wheeler vs Early Wynn: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Zack Wheeler or Early Wynn?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Early Wynn leads Zack Wheeler in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Zack Wheeler, with 3.26 to Early Wynn's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Early Wynn, with 300 to Zack Wheeler's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Early Wynn, with 2,334 to Zack Wheeler's 2,013.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Zack Wheeler, with 1.13 to Early Wynn's 1.33.