Michael Fulmer vs Bruce Sutter: Career Stats Comparison
Bruce Sutter has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Michael Fulmer has played 2016–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
Michael Fulmer (2016–present) and Bruce Sutter (1976–1988) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Michael Fulmer has 37 wins and 596 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? Bruce Sutter, with 2.83 to Michael Fulmer's 3.93.
- Who won more games? Bruce Sutter, with 68 to Michael Fulmer's 37.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bruce Sutter, with 861 to Michael Fulmer's 596.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bruce Sutter, with 1.14 to Michael Fulmer's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Bruce Sutter, with 1,042.0 to Michael Fulmer's 693.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Michael Fulmer, with 1 to Bruce Sutter's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bruce Sutter, with 23,292 career Pitcher PIV to Michael Fulmer's 4,091.
Michael Fulmer
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.
Michael Fulmer is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Michael Fulmer | Bruce Sutter |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 37 | Leads: 68 |
| Losses not scored | 51 | 71 |
| Games | 280 | Leads: 661 |
| Games Started | Leads: 90 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Saves | 19 | Leads: 300 |
| Strikeouts | 596 | Leads: 861 |
| Walks not scored | 226 | 309 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 652 | 879 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 77 | 77 |
| Innings Pitched | 693.1 | Leads: 1,042.0 |
| ERA | 3.93 | Leads: 2.83 |
| WHIP | 1.27 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.74 | 7.44 |
| BB/9 | 2.93 | Leads: 2.67 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bruce Sutter outpaces Michael Fulmer 23,292 to 4,091 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,941 PIV per season to 409, across 12 seasons to 10. 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).
Michael Fulmer — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Bruce Sutter — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bruce Sutter leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Michael Fulmer owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bruce Sutter. PIV agrees: Bruce Sutter grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Michael Fulmer and Bruce Sutter careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Bruce Sutter's ended in 1988, and Michael Fulmer debuted in 2016. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Michael Fulmer has appeared in 280 games to Bruce Sutter's 661. The green cells for Michael Fulmer are starts (90 to 0), complete games (2 to 0), and shutouts (1 to 0). The per-nine rows read 7.74 strikeouts and 2.93 walks for Michael Fulmer, 7.44 and 2.67 for Bruce Sutter. Their roles differ: Michael Fulmer split time between starting and relief (90 starts in 280 games); Bruce Sutter worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 661 games, 300 saves). Because Michael Fulmer is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Michael Fulmer vs Bruce Sutter: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Michael Fulmer or Bruce Sutter?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bruce Sutter leads Michael Fulmer in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bruce Sutter, with 2.83 to Michael Fulmer's 3.93.
- Who won more games?
- Bruce Sutter, with 68 to Michael Fulmer's 37.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bruce Sutter, with 861 to Michael Fulmer's 596.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bruce Sutter, with 1.14 to Michael Fulmer's 1.27.