Bert Blyleven vs Bret Saberhagen: Career Stats Comparison
Bert Blyleven has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Bert Blyleven played 1970–1992 as a pitcher; Bret Saberhagen played 1984–2001 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
Bert Blyleven (1970–1992) and Bret Saberhagen (1984–2001) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bert Blyleven finished with 287 wins and 3,701 strikeouts; Bret Saberhagen finished with 167 wins and 1,715 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Bert Blyleven, with 3.31 to Bret Saberhagen's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Bert Blyleven, with 287 to Bret Saberhagen's 167.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bert Blyleven, with 3,701 to Bret Saberhagen's 1,715.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bret Saberhagen, with 1.14 to Bert Blyleven's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Bert Blyleven, with 4,970.0 to Bret Saberhagen's 2,562.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bert Blyleven, with 60 to Bret Saberhagen's 16.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bert Blyleven, with 74,910 career Pitcher PIV to Bret Saberhagen's 53,065.
Bert Blyleven
Bret Saberhagen
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 1970s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bert Blyleven | Bret Saberhagen |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 287 | 167 |
| Losses not scored | 250 | 117 |
| Games | Leads: 692 | 399 |
| Games Started | Leads: 685 | 371 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 242 | 76 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 60 | 16 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,701 | 1,715 |
| Walks not scored | 1,322 | 471 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,632 | 2,452 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 430 | 218 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,970.0 | 2,562.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.31 | 3.34 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.70 | 6.02 |
| BB/9 | 2.39 | Leads: 1.65 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bert Blyleven outpaces Bret Saberhagen 74,910 to 53,065 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Bert Blyleven played 24 seasons to Bret Saberhagen's 17, while Bret Saberhagen carries the higher per-season figure (3,122 to 3,121). 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).
Bert Blyleven — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Bret Saberhagen — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bert Blyleven leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while Bret Saberhagen owns WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bert Blyleven. PIV agrees: Bert Blyleven grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bert Blyleven and Bret Saberhagen careers compare
Bert Blyleven and Bret Saberhagen were active at the same time between 1984 and 1992. Bert Blyleven has the far longer record, 692 games against 399 across 24 and 17 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Bret Saberhagen are saves (1 to 0), WHIP (1.14 to 1.20), and walks per nine (1.65 to 2.39). By rate, Bert Blyleven struck out 6.70 and walked 2.39 per nine innings; Bret Saberhagen struck out 6.02 and walked 1.65. Bert Blyleven was mainly a starter (685 starts in 692 games), and Bret Saberhagen was mainly a starter (371 starts in 399 games).
Bert Blyleven vs Bret Saberhagen: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bert Blyleven or Bret Saberhagen?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bert Blyleven leads Bret Saberhagen in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bert Blyleven, with 3.31 to Bret Saberhagen's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Bert Blyleven, with 287 to Bret Saberhagen's 167.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bert Blyleven, with 3,701 to Bret Saberhagen's 1,715.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bret Saberhagen, with 1.14 to Bert Blyleven's 1.20.