Tom Glavine vs Bret Saberhagen: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Glavine and Bret Saberhagen are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Tom Glavine played 1987–2008 as a pitcher; Bret Saberhagen played 1984–2001 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
Tom Glavine (1987–2008) and Bret Saberhagen (1984–2001) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Tom Glavine finished with 305 wins and 2,607 strikeouts; Bret Saberhagen finished with 167 wins and 1,715 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Bret Saberhagen, with 3.34 to Tom Glavine's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Tom Glavine, with 305 to Bret Saberhagen's 167.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Glavine, with 2,607 to Bret Saberhagen's 1,715.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bret Saberhagen, with 1.14 to Tom Glavine's 1.31.
- Who pitched more innings? Tom Glavine, with 4,413.1 to Bret Saberhagen's 2,562.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tom Glavine, with 25 to Bret Saberhagen's 16.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bret Saberhagen, with 53,065 career Pitcher PIV to Tom Glavine's 40,421.
Tom Glavine
Bret Saberhagen
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 | Tom Glavine | Bret Saberhagen |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 305 | 167 |
| Losses not scored | 203 | 117 |
| Games | Leads: 682 | 399 |
| Games Started | Leads: 682 | 371 |
| Complete Games | 56 | Leads: 76 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 25 | 16 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,607 | 1,715 |
| Walks not scored | 1,500 | 471 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,298 | 2,452 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 356 | 218 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,413.1 | 2,562.2 |
| ERA | 3.54 | Leads: 3.34 |
| WHIP | 1.31 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.32 | Leads: 6.02 |
| BB/9 | 3.06 | Leads: 1.65 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bret Saberhagen leads Tom Glavine 53,065 to 40,421 — driven by per-season impact — 3,122 PIV per season to 1,837 — rather than by longevity, since Bret Saberhagen played 17 seasons to Tom Glavine'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).
Tom Glavine — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Bret Saberhagen — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bret Saberhagen leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Tom Glavine owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bret Saberhagen. PIV agrees: Bret Saberhagen grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tom Glavine and Bret Saberhagen careers compare
Tom Glavine and Bret Saberhagen were active at the same time between 1987 and 2001. The table compares 682 games of Tom Glavine with 399 of Bret Saberhagen across 22 and 17 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The per-nine rows read 5.32 strikeouts and 3.06 walks for Tom Glavine, 6.02 and 1.65 for Bret Saberhagen. Both had the same role: Tom Glavine was mainly a starter (682 starts in 682 games); Bret Saberhagen was mainly a starter (371 starts in 399 games). Bret Saberhagen allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.14 WHIP to Tom Glavine's 1.31.
Tom Glavine vs Bret Saberhagen: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bret Saberhagen, with 3.34 to Tom Glavine's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Glavine, with 305 to Bret Saberhagen's 167.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Glavine, with 2,607 to Bret Saberhagen's 1,715.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bret Saberhagen, with 1.14 to Tom Glavine's 1.31.