Sonny Gray vs Max Scherzer: Career Stats Comparison

Sonny Gray (2013–present) and Max Scherzer (2008–present) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Sonny Gray compiled 125 wins and 1,925 strikeouts; Max Scherzer put up 221 wins and 3,489 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Sonny Gray

Pitcher · 2013–present
Wins
125
Losses
102
Strikeouts
1,925
ERA
3.58
WHIP
1.20
IP
1,918
View Sonny Gray's full profile →

Max Scherzer

Pitcher · 2008–present
Wins
221
Losses
117
Strikeouts
3,489
ERA
3.22
WHIP
1.08
IP
2,963
View Max Scherzer's full profile →

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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.

Statistic Sonny Gray Max Scherzer
Wins 125 221
Losses 102 117
Games 339 483
Games Started 330 474
Complete Games 7 12
Shutouts 5 5
Saves 0 0
Strikeouts 1,925 3,489
Walks 621 779
Hits Allowed 1,675 2,433
Home Runs Allowed 192 354
Innings Pitched 1,918 2,963
ERA 3.58 3.22
WHIP 1.20 1.08
K/9 9.03 10.60
BB/9 2.91 2.37

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Max Scherzer outpaces Sonny Gray 68,491 to 31,195 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,425 vs 2,228 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Sonny Gray
31,195
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,228 per season (14 seasons)
Max Scherzer
68,491
Career Pitcher PIV · 3,425 per season (20 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).

Sonny Gray — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20152.73 ERA14-7, 169 K in 208 IP
20232.79 ERA8-8, 183 K in 184 IP
20192.87 ERA11-8, 205 K in 175 IP

Max Scherzer — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20222.29 ERA11-5, 173 K in 145 IP
20172.51 ERA16-6, 268 K in 200 IP
20182.53 ERA18-7, 300 K in 220 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Max Scherzer leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Sonny Gray owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Max Scherzer. PIV agrees: Max Scherzer grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

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