Aroldis Chapman vs Bruce Sutter: Career Stats Comparison
Aroldis Chapman has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Aroldis Chapman has played 2010–present 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
Aroldis Chapman (2010–present) and Bruce Sutter (1976–1988) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Aroldis Chapman has 63 wins and 1,402 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; 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? Aroldis Chapman, with 2.48 to Bruce Sutter's 2.83.
- Who won more games? Bruce Sutter, with 68 to Aroldis Chapman's 63.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Aroldis Chapman, with 1,402 to Bruce Sutter's 861.
- Who had the better WHIP? Aroldis Chapman, with 1.08 to Bruce Sutter's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Bruce Sutter, with 1,042.0 to Aroldis Chapman's 873.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Aroldis Chapman, with 36,308 career Pitcher PIV to Bruce Sutter's 23,292.
Aroldis Chapman
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, and the 2010s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Aroldis Chapman is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Aroldis Chapman | Bruce Sutter |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 63 | Leads: 68 |
| Losses not scored | 52 | 71 |
| Games | Leads: 916 | 661 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 402 | 300 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,402 | 861 |
| Walks not scored | 431 | 309 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 510 | 879 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 57 | 77 |
| Innings Pitched | 873.0 | Leads: 1,042.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.48 | 2.83 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.08 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 14.45 | 7.44 |
| BB/9 | 4.44 | Leads: 2.67 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Aroldis Chapman outpaces Bruce Sutter 36,308 to 23,292 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,017 PIV per season to 1,941, across 18 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).
Aroldis Chapman
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, Aroldis Chapman leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Bruce Sutter owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Aroldis Chapman. PIV agrees: Aroldis Chapman grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Aroldis Chapman and Bruce Sutter careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Bruce Sutter's ended in 1988, and Aroldis Chapman debuted in 2010. The two careers are close in length, 916 games for Aroldis Chapman and 661 for Bruce Sutter across 18 and 12 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Bruce Sutter's edges on the table are wins (68 to 63), innings (1,042.0 to 873.0), and walks per nine (2.67 to 4.44). The per-nine rows read 14.45 strikeouts and 4.44 walks for Aroldis Chapman, 7.44 and 2.67 for Bruce Sutter. Aroldis Chapman's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Aroldis Chapman vs Bruce Sutter: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Aroldis Chapman or Bruce Sutter?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Aroldis Chapman leads Bruce Sutter in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Aroldis Chapman, with 2.48 to Bruce Sutter's 2.83.
- Who won more games?
- Bruce Sutter, with 68 to Aroldis Chapman's 63.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Aroldis Chapman, with 1,402 to Bruce Sutter's 861.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Aroldis Chapman, with 1.08 to Bruce Sutter's 1.14.