Zack Greinke vs Chris Sale: Career Stats Comparison
Zack Greinke has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 statistical categories compared on this page. Zack Greinke has played 2004–present as a pitcher; Chris Sale has played 2010–present 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
Zack Greinke (2004–present) and Chris Sale (2010–present) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Zack Greinke compiled 225 wins and 2,979 strikeouts; Chris Sale put up 145 wins and 2,579 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Chris Sale, with 3.01 to Zack Greinke's 3.49.
- Who won more games? Zack Greinke, with 225 to Chris Sale's 145.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Zack Greinke, with 2,979 to Chris Sale's 2,579.
- Who had the better WHIP? Chris Sale, with 1.05 to Zack Greinke's 1.17.
- Who pitched more innings? Zack Greinke, with 3,389 to Chris Sale's 2,084.
- Who threw more shutouts? Zack Greinke, with 5 to Chris Sale's 3.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Chris Sale, with 65,834 career Pitcher PIV to Zack Greinke's 58,246.
Zack Greinke
Chris Sale
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. 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: compare them with the era in mind, or use the PIV card below, which is.
| Statistic | Zack Greinke | Chris Sale |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 225 | 145 |
| Losses | 156 | 88 |
| Games | Leads: 586 | 393 |
| Games Started | Leads: 541 | 312 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 17 | 16 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 5 | 3 |
| Saves | 1 | Leads: 12 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,979 | 2,579 |
| Walks | 762 | 487 |
| Hits Allowed | 3,207 | 1,692 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 367 | 213 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,389 | 2,084 |
| ERA | 3.49 | Leads: 3.01 |
| WHIP | 1.17 | Leads: 1.05 |
| K/9 | 7.91 | Leads: 11.14 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.02 | 2.10 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Chris Sale leads Zack Greinke 65,834 to 58,246 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,389 vs 2,648 per year). 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 (120+ innings).
Zack Greinke — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Chris Sale — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Chris Sale leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Zack Greinke owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Chris Sale. PIV agrees: Chris Sale grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Zack Greinke vs Chris Sale: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Zack Greinke or Chris Sale?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Zack Greinke leads Chris Sale in 8 of 12 categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Chris Sale, with 3.01 to Zack Greinke's 3.49.
- Who won more games?
- Zack Greinke, with 225 to Chris Sale's 145.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Zack Greinke, with 2,979 to Chris Sale's 2,579.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Chris Sale, with 1.05 to Zack Greinke's 1.17.