Gene Garber vs Bruce Sutter: Career Stats Comparison
Gene Garber 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). Gene Garber played 1969–1988 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
Gene Garber (1969–1988) and Bruce Sutter (1976–1988) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Gene Garber finished with 96 wins and 940 strikeouts; 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 Gene Garber's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Gene Garber, with 96 to Bruce Sutter's 68.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Gene Garber, with 940 to Bruce Sutter's 861.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bruce Sutter, with 1.14 to Gene Garber's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Gene Garber, with 1,510.0 to Bruce Sutter's 1,042.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bruce Sutter, with 23,292 career Pitcher PIV to Gene Garber's 15,978.
Gene Garber
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 1960s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Gene Garber | Bruce Sutter |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 96 | 68 |
| Losses not scored | 113 | 71 |
| Games | Leads: 931 | 661 |
| Games Started | Leads: 9 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 4 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 218 | Leads: 300 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 940 | 861 |
| Walks not scored | 445 | 309 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,464 | 879 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 123 | 77 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,510.0 | 1,042.0 |
| ERA | 3.34 | Leads: 2.83 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.60 | Leads: 7.44 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.65 | 2.67 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bruce Sutter outpaces Gene Garber 23,292 to 15,978 — driven by per-season impact — 1,941 PIV per season to 726 — rather than by longevity, since Bruce Sutter played 12 seasons to Gene Garber's 22. 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).
Gene Garber — top 1 season 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 ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Gene Garber owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. 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 Gene Garber and Bruce Sutter careers compare
The careers of Gene Garber (1969–1988) and Bruce Sutter (1976–1988) overlapped from 1976 to 1988, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 931 games against 661 across 22 and 12 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Bruce Sutter are saves (300 to 218), ERA (2.83 to 3.34), and WHIP (1.14 to 1.26). The per-nine rows read 5.60 strikeouts and 2.65 walks for Gene Garber, 7.44 and 2.67 for Bruce Sutter. Gene Garber worked mostly in relief (9 starts in 931 games, 218 saves), and Bruce Sutter worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 661 games, 300 saves).
Gene Garber vs Bruce Sutter: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gene Garber or Bruce Sutter?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gene Garber leads Bruce Sutter in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bruce Sutter, with 2.83 to Gene Garber's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Gene Garber, with 96 to Bruce Sutter's 68.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Gene Garber, with 940 to Bruce Sutter's 861.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bruce Sutter, with 1.14 to Gene Garber's 1.26.