Larry Andersen vs Bruce Sutter: Career Stats Comparison
Bruce Sutter 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). Larry Andersen played 1975–1994 as a pitcher; Bruce Sutter played 1976–1988 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
Larry Andersen (1975–1994) and Bruce Sutter (1976–1988) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Larry Andersen finished with 40 wins and 758 strikeouts; Bruce Sutter finished with 68 wins and 861 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Bruce Sutter, with 2.83 to Larry Andersen's 3.15.
- Who won more games? Bruce Sutter, with 68 to Larry Andersen's 40.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bruce Sutter, with 861 to Larry Andersen's 758.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bruce Sutter, with 1.14 to Larry Andersen's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Bruce Sutter, with 1,042.0 to Larry Andersen's 995.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bruce Sutter, with 23,292 career Pitcher PIV to Larry Andersen's 22,588.
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. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Larry Andersen | Bruce Sutter |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 40 | Leads: 68 |
| Losses not scored | 39 | 71 |
| Games | Leads: 699 | 661 |
| Games Started | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 49 | Leads: 300 |
| Strikeouts | 758 | Leads: 861 |
| Walks not scored | 311 | 309 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 932 | 879 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 58 | 77 |
| Innings Pitched | 995.1 | Leads: 1,042.0 |
| ERA | 3.15 | Leads: 2.83 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 6.85 | Leads: 7.44 |
| BB/9 | 2.81 | Leads: 2.67 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bruce Sutter edges Larry Andersen 23,292 to 22,588 — driven by per-season impact — 1,941 PIV per season to 1,189 — rather than by longevity, since Bruce Sutter played 12 seasons to Larry Andersen's 19. 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).
Larry Andersen
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Bruce Sutter — top 1 season 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.
Related Matchups
How the Larry Andersen and Bruce Sutter careers compare
Larry Andersen and Bruce Sutter were active at the same time between 1976 and 1988. The two careers are close in length, 699 games for Larry Andersen and 661 for Bruce Sutter across 19 and 12 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Larry Andersen are games (699 to 661) and starts (1 to 0). The per-nine rows read 6.85 strikeouts and 2.81 walks for Larry Andersen, 7.44 and 2.67 for Bruce Sutter. Larry Andersen worked mostly in relief (1 starts in 699 games, 49 saves), and Bruce Sutter worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 661 games, 300 saves).
Larry Andersen vs Bruce Sutter: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Larry Andersen or Bruce Sutter?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bruce Sutter leads Larry Andersen in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bruce Sutter, with 2.83 to Larry Andersen's 3.15.
- Who won more games?
- Bruce Sutter, with 68 to Larry Andersen's 40.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bruce Sutter, with 861 to Larry Andersen's 758.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bruce Sutter, with 1.14 to Larry Andersen's 1.25.