Larry Andersen vs Bruce Sutter: Career Stats Comparison
Larry Andersen (1975–1994) and Bruce Sutter (1976–1988) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Larry Andersen compiled 40 wins and 758 strikeouts; Bruce Sutter put up 68 wins and 861 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Larry Andersen
Bruce Sutter
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 | Larry Andersen | Bruce Sutter |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 40 | 68 |
| Losses | 39 | 71 |
| Games | 699 | 661 |
| Games Started | 1 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 49 | 300 |
| Strikeouts | 758 | 861 |
| Walks | 311 | 309 |
| Hits Allowed | 932 | 879 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 58 | 77 |
| Innings Pitched | 995 | 1,042 |
| ERA | 3.15 | 2.83 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | 6.85 | 7.44 |
| BB/9 | 2.81 | 2.67 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bruce Sutter edges Larry Andersen 23,292 to 22,588 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,941 vs 1,189 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).
Larry Andersen — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Bruce Sutter — top 1 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bruce Sutter leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Larry Andersen owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bruce Sutter. PIV agrees: Bruce Sutter grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.