Sean Doolittle vs Stephen Strasburg: Career Stats Comparison
Stephen Strasburg has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Sean Doolittle played 2012–2022 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
Sean Doolittle (2012–2022) and Stephen Strasburg (2010–2022) — both came up during the 2010s, so the matchup is a direct one. Sean Doolittle finished with 26 wins and 522 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? Sean Doolittle, with 3.20 to Stephen Strasburg's 3.24.
- Who won more games? Stephen Strasburg, with 113 to Sean Doolittle's 26.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Stephen Strasburg, with 1,723 to Sean Doolittle's 522.
- Who had the better WHIP? Sean Doolittle, with 1.01 to Stephen Strasburg's 1.10.
- Who pitched more innings? Stephen Strasburg, with 1,470.0 to Sean Doolittle's 450.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Stephen Strasburg, with 2 to Sean Doolittle's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Stephen Strasburg, with 41,364 career Pitcher PIV to Sean Doolittle's 13,690.
Sean Doolittle
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 | Sean Doolittle | Stephen Strasburg |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 26 | Leads: 113 |
| Losses not scored | 24 | 62 |
| Games | Leads: 463 | 247 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 247 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 2 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 2 |
| Saves | Leads: 112 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 522 | Leads: 1,723 |
| Walks not scored | 103 | 394 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 354 | 1,217 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 48 | 149 |
| Innings Pitched | 450.2 | Leads: 1,470.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.20 | 3.24 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.01 | 1.10 |
| K/9 | 10.42 | Leads: 10.55 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.06 | 2.41 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Stephen Strasburg outpaces Sean Doolittle 41,364 to 13,690 — driven by per-season impact — 3,182 PIV per season to 1,053 — rather than by longevity, since Stephen Strasburg played 13 seasons to Sean Doolittle's 13. 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).
Sean Doolittle
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Stephen Strasburg — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Stephen Strasburg leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Sean Doolittle owns ERA and WHIP. 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 Sean Doolittle and Stephen Strasburg careers compare
The careers of Sean Doolittle (2012–2022) and Stephen Strasburg (2010–2022) overlapped from 2012 to 2022, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Sean Doolittle appeared in 463 games to Stephen Strasburg's 247. By rate, Sean Doolittle struck out 10.42 and walked 2.06 per nine innings; Stephen Strasburg struck out 10.55 and walked 2.41. Sean Doolittle worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 463 games, 112 saves), while Stephen Strasburg was mainly a starter (247 starts in 247 games). In WHIP, Sean Doolittle's 1.01 beats Stephen Strasburg's 1.10.
Sean Doolittle vs Stephen Strasburg: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sean Doolittle or Stephen Strasburg?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Stephen Strasburg leads Sean Doolittle in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Sean Doolittle, with 3.20 to Stephen Strasburg's 3.24.
- Who won more games?
- Stephen Strasburg, with 113 to Sean Doolittle's 26.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Stephen Strasburg, with 1,723 to Sean Doolittle's 522.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Sean Doolittle, with 1.01 to Stephen Strasburg's 1.10.