Yu Darvish vs Stephen Strasburg: Career Stats Comparison
Yu Darvish and Stephen Strasburg are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 5–5 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Yu Darvish played 2012–2025 as a pitcher; Stephen Strasburg played 2010–2022 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
Yu Darvish (2012–2025) and Stephen Strasburg (2010–2022) — both came up during the 2010s, so the matchup is a direct one. Yu Darvish finished with 115 wins and 2,075 strikeouts; Stephen Strasburg finished with 113 wins and 1,723 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Stephen Strasburg, with 3.24 to Yu Darvish's 3.65.
- Who won more games? Yu Darvish, with 115 to Stephen Strasburg's 113.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Yu Darvish, with 2,075 to Stephen Strasburg's 1,723.
- Who had the better WHIP? Stephen Strasburg, with 1.10 to Yu Darvish's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Yu Darvish, with 1,778.0 to Stephen Strasburg's 1,470.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Stephen Strasburg, with 2 to Yu Darvish's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Stephen Strasburg, with 41,364 career Pitcher PIV to Yu Darvish's 25,371.
Yu Darvish
Stephen Strasburg
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.
| Statistic | Yu Darvish | Stephen Strasburg |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 115 | 113 |
| Losses not scored | 93 | 62 |
| Games | Leads: 297 | 247 |
| Games Started | Leads: 297 | 247 |
| Complete Games | 2 | 2 |
| Shutouts | 1 | Leads: 2 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,075 | 1,723 |
| Walks not scored | 563 | 394 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,460 | 1,217 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 231 | 149 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,778.0 | 1,470.0 |
| ERA | 3.65 | Leads: 3.24 |
| WHIP | 1.14 | Leads: 1.10 |
| K/9 | 10.50 | Leads: 10.55 |
| BB/9 | 2.85 | Leads: 2.41 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Stephen Strasburg outpaces Yu Darvish 41,364 to 25,371 — driven by per-season impact — 3,182 PIV per season to 1,812 — rather than by longevity, since Stephen Strasburg played 13 seasons to Yu Darvish's 14. 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).
Yu Darvish — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Stephen Strasburg — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Stephen Strasburg leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Yu Darvish owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Stephen Strasburg. PIV agrees: Stephen Strasburg grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Yu Darvish and Stephen Strasburg careers compare
Yu Darvish and Stephen Strasburg were active at the same time between 2012 and 2022. The two careers are close in length, 297 games for Yu Darvish and 247 for Stephen Strasburg across 14 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. By rate, Yu Darvish struck out 10.50 and walked 2.85 per nine innings; Stephen Strasburg struck out 10.55 and walked 2.41. Both had the same role: Yu Darvish was mainly a starter (297 starts in 297 games); Stephen Strasburg was mainly a starter (247 starts in 247 games). In WHIP, Stephen Strasburg's 1.10 beats Yu Darvish's 1.14.
Yu Darvish vs Stephen Strasburg: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Stephen Strasburg, with 3.24 to Yu Darvish's 3.65.
- Who won more games?
- Yu Darvish, with 115 to Stephen Strasburg's 113.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Yu Darvish, with 2,075 to Stephen Strasburg's 1,723.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Stephen Strasburg, with 1.10 to Yu Darvish's 1.14.