Gerrit Cole vs Chris Sale: Career Stats Comparison
Chris Sale has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Gerrit Cole has played 2013–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
Gerrit Cole (2013–present) and Chris Sale (2010–present) — both debuted in the 2010s. Gerrit Cole has 163 wins and 2,382 strikeouts through the 2026 season; Chris Sale has 159 wins and 2,779 strikeouts through the 2026 season. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Chris Sale, in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Chris Sale, with 2.95 to Gerrit Cole's 3.20.
- Who won more games? Gerrit Cole, with 163 to Chris Sale's 159.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Chris Sale, with 2,779 to Gerrit Cole's 2,382.
- Who had the better WHIP? Chris Sale, with 1.04 to Gerrit Cole's 1.09.
- How many innings did each pitch? Gerrit Cole 2,081.0, Chris Sale 2,246.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Gerrit Cole, with 5 to Chris Sale's 4.
Gerrit Cole
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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.
| Statistic | Gerrit Cole | Chris Sale |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 163 | 159 |
| Losses not scored | 89 | 97 |
| Games not scored | 339 | 420 |
| Games Started not scored | 339 | 339 |
| Complete Games | 8 | Leads: 17 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 5 | 4 |
| Saves not scored | 0 | 12 |
| Strikeouts | 2,382 | Leads: 2,779 |
| Walks not scored | 525 | 518 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,742 | 1,821 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 239 | 223 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,081.0 | 2,246.2 |
| ERA | 3.20 | Leads: 2.95 |
| WHIP | 1.09 | Leads: 1.04 |
| K/9 | 10.30 | Leads: 11.13 |
| BB/9 | 2.27 | Leads: 2.08 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Chris Sale outpaces Gerrit Cole 73,774 to 51,727 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,611 PIV per season to 3,979, across 16 seasons to 13. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Gerrit Cole — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Chris Sale — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Chris Sale leads 6 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: complete games, strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and others. Gerrit Cole leads 2: wins and shutouts. 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 Gerrit Cole and Chris Sale careers compare
Gerrit Cole and Chris Sale are both active, and their careers have run side by side since 2013. The two careers are close in length, 339 games for Gerrit Cole and 420 for Chris Sale across 13 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Gerrit Cole are wins (163 to 159) and shutouts (5 to 4). By rate, Gerrit Cole struck out 10.30 and walked 2.27 per nine innings; Chris Sale struck out 11.13 and walked 2.08. Both had the same role: Gerrit Cole was mainly a starter (339 starts in 339 games); Chris Sale was mainly a starter (339 starts in 420 games). Gerrit Cole and Chris Sale's totals run through the 2026 season.
Gerrit Cole vs Chris Sale: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gerrit Cole or Chris Sale?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Chris Sale leads Gerrit Cole in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Chris Sale, with 2.95 to Gerrit Cole's 3.20.
- Who won more games?
- Gerrit Cole, with 163 to Chris Sale's 159.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Chris Sale, with 2,779 to Gerrit Cole's 2,382.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Chris Sale, with 1.04 to Gerrit Cole's 1.09.