Corbin Burnes vs Chris Sale: Career Stats Comparison
Chris Sale has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Chris Sale has played 2010–present 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 Chris Sale (2010–present) — both came up during the 2010s, so the matchup is a direct one. Corbin Burnes has 63 wins and 1,122 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Chris Sale has 159 wins and 2,779 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Chris Sale, with 2.95 to Corbin Burnes's 3.20.
- Who won more games? Chris Sale, with 159 to Corbin Burnes's 63.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Chris Sale, with 2,779 to Corbin Burnes's 1,122.
- Who had the better WHIP? Chris Sale, with 1.04 to Corbin Burnes's 1.08.
- Who pitched more innings? Chris Sale, with 2,246.2 to Corbin Burnes's 978.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Chris Sale, with 4 to Corbin Burnes's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Chris Sale, with 65,834 career Pitcher PIV to Corbin Burnes's 23,443.
Corbin Burnes
Chris Sale
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.
Corbin Burnes and Chris Sale are still active — their totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Corbin Burnes | Chris Sale |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 63 | Leads: 159 |
| Losses not scored | 38 | 97 |
| Games | 213 | Leads: 420 |
| Games Started | 152 | Leads: 339 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 17 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 4 |
| Saves | 2 | Leads: 12 |
| Strikeouts | 1,122 | Leads: 2,779 |
| Walks not scored | 284 | 518 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 768 | 1,821 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 109 | 223 |
| Innings Pitched | 978.1 | Leads: 2,246.2 |
| ERA | 3.20 | Leads: 2.95 |
| WHIP | 1.08 | Leads: 1.04 |
| K/9 | 10.32 | Leads: 11.13 |
| BB/9 | 2.61 | Leads: 2.08 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Chris Sale outpaces Corbin Burnes 65,834 to 23,443 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,389 PIV per season to 2,930, across 15 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)
Chris Sale — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Chris Sale leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Corbin Burnes owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Chris Sale. PIV agrees: Chris Sale 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 Chris Sale careers compare
Corbin Burnes and Chris Sale are both active, and their careers have run side by side since 2018. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Corbin Burnes has appeared in 213 games to Chris Sale's 420. Chris Sale leads every scored row of the table. The per-nine rows read 10.32 strikeouts and 2.61 walks for Corbin Burnes, 11.13 and 2.08 for Chris Sale. Both had the same role: Corbin Burnes was mainly a starter (152 starts in 213 games); Chris Sale was mainly a starter (339 starts in 420 games). Chris Sale allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.04 WHIP to Corbin Burnes's 1.08. Because Corbin Burnes and Chris Sale are still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Corbin Burnes vs Chris Sale: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Corbin Burnes or Chris Sale?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Chris Sale leads Corbin Burnes in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Chris Sale, with 2.95 to Corbin Burnes's 3.20.
- Who won more games?
- Chris Sale, with 159 to Corbin Burnes's 63.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Chris Sale, with 2,779 to Corbin Burnes's 1,122.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Chris Sale, with 1.04 to Corbin Burnes's 1.08.