Rollie Fingers vs Bruce Sutter: Career Stats Comparison
Rollie Fingers and Bruce Sutter are close to even, splitting the 6 scored categories on this page 3–3 (10 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Rollie Fingers played 1968–1985 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
Rollie Fingers (1968–1985) and Bruce Sutter (1976–1988) — they debuted in the 1960s and the 1970s respectively and share 10 seasons. Rollie Fingers finished with 114 wins and 1,299 strikeouts; Bruce Sutter finished with 68 wins and 861 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Neither — they split the 6 scored categories 3–3.
- Who had more saves? Rollie Fingers, with 341 to Bruce Sutter's 300.
- Who had the better ERA? Bruce Sutter, with 2.83 to Rollie Fingers's 2.90.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rollie Fingers, with 1,299 to Bruce Sutter's 861.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bruce Sutter, with 1.14 to Rollie Fingers's 1.16.
- Who struck out more batters per nine innings? Bruce Sutter, with 7.44 to Rollie Fingers's 6.87.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Rollie Fingers, with 33,082 career Pitcher PIV to Bruce Sutter's 23,292.
Rollie Fingers
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. 6 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 10 are shown but not scored. Both worked mainly in relief, so saves and strikeouts are scored and wins, complete games and shutouts are not. 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 | Rollie Fingers | Bruce Sutter |
|---|---|---|
| Wins not scored | 114 | 68 |
| Losses not scored | 118 | 71 |
| Games not scored | 944 | 661 |
| Games Started not scored | 37 | 0 |
| Complete Games not scored | 4 | 0 |
| Shutouts not scored | 2 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 341 | 300 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,299 | 861 |
| Walks not scored | 492 | 309 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,474 | 879 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 123 | 77 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 1,701.1 | 1,042.0 |
| ERA | 2.90 | Leads: 2.83 |
| WHIP | 1.16 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 6.87 | Leads: 7.44 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.60 | 2.67 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rollie Fingers outpaces Bruce Sutter 33,082 to 23,292 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,946 PIV per season to 1,941, across 17 seasons to 12. 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 (40+ innings).
Rollie Fingers — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Bruce Sutter — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Rollie Fingers and Bruce Sutter split the 6 scored categories on the head-to-head card 3-3. Both are scored as relievers. On the raw scoreboard neither has the edge. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Rollie Fingers higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rollie Fingers and Bruce Sutter careers compare
From 1976 through 1985, Rollie Fingers and Bruce Sutter were in the majors together. With 944 games against 661 across 17 and 12 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Bruce Sutter are ERA (2.83 to 2.90), WHIP (1.14 to 1.16), and strikeouts per nine (7.44 to 6.87). The per-nine rows read 6.87 strikeouts and 2.60 walks for Rollie Fingers, 7.44 and 2.67 for Bruce Sutter. Rollie Fingers worked mostly in relief (37 starts in 944 games, 341 saves), and Bruce Sutter worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 661 games, 300 saves). In WHIP, Bruce Sutter's 1.14 beats Rollie Fingers's 1.16.
Rollie Fingers vs Bruce Sutter: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rollie Fingers or Bruce Sutter?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, neither leads: they split the 6 scored categories 3–3.
- Who had more saves?
- Rollie Fingers, with 341 to Bruce Sutter's 300.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bruce Sutter, with 2.83 to Rollie Fingers's 2.90.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rollie Fingers, with 1,299 to Bruce Sutter's 861.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bruce Sutter, with 1.14 to Rollie Fingers's 1.16.