Dan Haren vs Ben Sheets: Career Stats Comparison
Dan Haren has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Dan Haren played 2003–2015 as a pitcher; Ben Sheets played 2001–2012 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
Dan Haren (2003–2015) and Ben Sheets (2001–2012) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Dan Haren finished with 153 wins and 2,013 strikeouts; Ben Sheets finished with 94 wins and 1,325 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Dan Haren, with 3.75 to Ben Sheets's 3.78.
- Who won more games? Dan Haren, with 153 to Ben Sheets's 94.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Dan Haren, with 2,013 to Ben Sheets's 1,325.
- Who had the better WHIP? Dan Haren, with 1.18 to Ben Sheets's 1.22.
- Who pitched more innings? Dan Haren, with 2,419.2 to Ben Sheets's 1,596.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Dan Haren, with 6 to Ben Sheets's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Ben Sheets, with 28,864 career Pitcher PIV to Dan Haren's 24,951.
Dan Haren
Ben Sheets
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 | Dan Haren | Ben Sheets |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 153 | 94 |
| Losses not scored | 131 | 96 |
| Games | Leads: 391 | 250 |
| Games Started | Leads: 380 | 250 |
| Complete Games | 16 | Leads: 18 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 6 | 4 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,013 | 1,325 |
| Walks not scored | 500 | 369 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,357 | 1,577 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 305 | 184 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,419.2 | 1,596.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.75 | 3.78 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.22 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.49 | 7.47 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.86 | 2.08 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ben Sheets leads Dan Haren 28,864 to 24,951 — driven by per-season impact — 2,886 PIV per season to 1,663 — rather than by longevity, since Ben Sheets played 10 seasons to Dan Haren's 15. 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).
Dan Haren — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Ben Sheets — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dan Haren leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Ben Sheets owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dan Haren. Note that PIV actually grades Ben Sheets ahead, which means Dan Haren's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Dan Haren and Ben Sheets careers compare
The careers of Dan Haren (2003–2015) and Ben Sheets (2001–2012) overlapped from 2003 to 2012, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Dan Haren has the far longer record, 391 games against 250 across 15 and 10 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Ben Sheets are complete games (18 to 16). By rate, Dan Haren struck out 7.49 and walked 1.86 per nine innings; Ben Sheets struck out 7.47 and walked 2.08. Dan Haren was mainly a starter (380 starts in 391 games), and Ben Sheets was mainly a starter (250 starts in 250 games). Dan Haren allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.18 WHIP to Ben Sheets's 1.22.
Dan Haren vs Ben Sheets: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dan Haren or Ben Sheets?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dan Haren leads Ben Sheets in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Dan Haren, with 3.75 to Ben Sheets's 3.78.
- Who won more games?
- Dan Haren, with 153 to Ben Sheets's 94.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Dan Haren, with 2,013 to Ben Sheets's 1,325.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Dan Haren, with 1.18 to Ben Sheets's 1.22.