Kevin Brown vs Johan Santana: Career Stats Comparison
Kevin Brown 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). Kevin Brown played 1986–2005 as a pitcher; Johan Santana played 2000–2012 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
Kevin Brown (1986–2005) and Johan Santana (2000–2012) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Kevin Brown finished with 211 wins and 2,397 strikeouts; Johan Santana finished with 139 wins and 1,988 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Johan Santana, with 3.20 to Kevin Brown's 3.28.
- Who won more games? Kevin Brown, with 211 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Kevin Brown, with 2,397 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP? Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Kevin Brown's 1.22.
- Who pitched more innings? Kevin Brown, with 3,256.1 to Johan Santana's 2,025.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Kevin Brown, with 17 to Johan Santana's 10.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Kevin Brown, with 82,163 career Pitcher PIV to Johan Santana's 48,732.
Kevin Brown
Johan Santana
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 1980s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Kevin Brown | Johan Santana |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 211 | 139 |
| Losses not scored | 144 | 78 |
| Games | Leads: 486 | 360 |
| Games Started | Leads: 476 | 284 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 72 | 15 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 17 | 10 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,397 | 1,988 |
| Walks not scored | 901 | 567 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,079 | 1,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 208 | 220 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,256.1 | 2,025.2 |
| ERA | 3.28 | Leads: 3.20 |
| WHIP | 1.22 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 6.62 | Leads: 8.83 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.49 | 2.52 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Kevin Brown outpaces Johan Santana 82,163 to 48,732 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,324 PIV per season to 4,061, across 19 seasons to 12. 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).
Kevin Brown — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Johan Santana — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Kevin Brown leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Johan Santana owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Kevin Brown. PIV agrees: Kevin Brown grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Kevin Brown and Johan Santana careers compare
The careers of Kevin Brown (1986–2005) and Johan Santana (2000–2012) overlapped from 2000 to 2005, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 486 games against 360 across 19 and 12 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Johan Santana's edges on the table are saves (1 to 0), ERA (3.20 to 3.28), and WHIP (1.13 to 1.22). The per-nine rows read 6.62 strikeouts and 2.49 walks for Kevin Brown, 8.83 and 2.52 for Johan Santana. Kevin Brown was mainly a starter (476 starts in 486 games), and Johan Santana was mainly a starter (284 starts in 360 games).
Kevin Brown vs Johan Santana: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Kevin Brown or Johan Santana?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Kevin Brown leads Johan Santana in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Johan Santana, with 3.20 to Kevin Brown's 3.28.
- Who won more games?
- Kevin Brown, with 211 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Kevin Brown, with 2,397 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Kevin Brown's 1.22.