Corbin Burnes vs Sandy Koufax: Career Stats Comparison
Sandy Koufax 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). Corbin Burnes has played 2018–present as a pitcher; Sandy Koufax played 1955–1966 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
Corbin Burnes (2018–present) and Sandy Koufax (1955–1966) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1950s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Corbin Burnes has 63 wins and 1,122 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Sandy Koufax finished with 165 wins and 2,396 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Sandy Koufax, with 2.76 to Corbin Burnes's 3.20.
- Who won more games? Sandy Koufax, with 165 to Corbin Burnes's 63.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Sandy Koufax, with 2,396 to Corbin Burnes's 1,122.
- Who had the better WHIP? Corbin Burnes, with 1.08 to Sandy Koufax's 1.11.
- Who pitched more innings? Sandy Koufax, with 2,324.1 to Corbin Burnes's 978.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Sandy Koufax, with 40 to Corbin Burnes's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Sandy Koufax, with 63,020 career Pitcher PIV to Corbin Burnes's 23,443.
Corbin Burnes
Sandy Koufax
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 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Corbin Burnes is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Corbin Burnes | Sandy Koufax |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 63 | Leads: 165 |
| Losses not scored | 38 | 87 |
| Games | 213 | Leads: 397 |
| Games Started | 152 | Leads: 314 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 137 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 40 |
| Saves | 2 | Leads: 9 |
| Strikeouts | 1,122 | Leads: 2,396 |
| Walks not scored | 284 | 817 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 768 | 1,754 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 109 | 204 |
| Innings Pitched | 978.1 | Leads: 2,324.1 |
| ERA | 3.20 | Leads: 2.76 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.08 | 1.11 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.32 | 9.28 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.61 | 3.16 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Sandy Koufax outpaces Corbin Burnes 63,020 to 23,443 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,252 PIV per season to 2,930, across 12 seasons to 8. 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).
Corbin Burnes — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Sandy Koufax — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Sandy Koufax leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Corbin Burnes owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Sandy Koufax. PIV agrees: Sandy Koufax grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Corbin Burnes and Sandy Koufax careers compare
No season is shared: Sandy Koufax played 1955–1966, Corbin Burnes 2018–present. Sandy Koufax has the far longer record, 397 games against 213 across 8 and 12 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Corbin Burnes's edges on the table are WHIP (1.08 to 1.11), strikeouts per nine (10.32 to 9.28), and walks per nine (2.61 to 3.16). The per-nine rows read 10.32 strikeouts and 2.61 walks for Corbin Burnes, 9.28 and 3.16 for Sandy Koufax. Corbin Burnes was mainly a starter (152 starts in 213 games), and Sandy Koufax was mainly a starter (314 starts in 397 games). Complete games (0 to 137) show how differently the two eras used starters. Corbin Burnes's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Corbin Burnes vs Sandy Koufax: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Corbin Burnes or Sandy Koufax?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Sandy Koufax leads Corbin Burnes in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Sandy Koufax, with 2.76 to Corbin Burnes's 3.20.
- Who won more games?
- Sandy Koufax, with 165 to Corbin Burnes's 63.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Sandy Koufax, with 2,396 to Corbin Burnes's 1,122.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Corbin Burnes, with 1.08 to Sandy Koufax's 1.11.