Liam Hendriks vs Bruce Sutter: Career Stats Comparison
Bruce Sutter 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). Liam Hendriks played 2011–2025 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
Liam Hendriks (2011–2025) and Bruce Sutter (1976–1988) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Liam Hendriks finished with 33 wins and 739 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 Liam Hendriks's 3.88.
- Who won more games? Bruce Sutter, with 68 to Liam Hendriks's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bruce Sutter, with 861 to Liam Hendriks's 739.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bruce Sutter, with 1.14 to Liam Hendriks's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Bruce Sutter, with 1,042.0 to Liam Hendriks's 663.2.
- 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 Liam Hendriks's 14,422.
Liam Hendriks
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 2010s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Liam Hendriks | Bruce Sutter |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 33 | Leads: 68 |
| Losses not scored | 36 | 71 |
| Games | 490 | Leads: 661 |
| Games Started | Leads: 44 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 116 | Leads: 300 |
| Strikeouts | 739 | Leads: 861 |
| Walks not scored | 166 | 309 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 630 | 879 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 79 | 77 |
| Innings Pitched | 663.2 | Leads: 1,042.0 |
| ERA | 3.88 | Leads: 2.83 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.02 | 7.44 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.25 | 2.67 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bruce Sutter outpaces Liam Hendriks 23,292 to 14,422 — driven by per-season impact — 1,941 PIV per season to 961 — rather than by longevity, since Bruce Sutter played 12 seasons to Liam Hendriks'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).
Liam Hendriks
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Bruce Sutter — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bruce Sutter leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Liam Hendriks owns K/9. 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 Liam Hendriks and Bruce Sutter careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Bruce Sutter's ended in 1988, and Liam Hendriks debuted in 2011. The two careers are close in length, 490 games for Liam Hendriks and 661 for Bruce Sutter across 15 and 12 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Liam Hendriks comes out ahead, it is in starts (44 to 0), complete games (1 to 0), and strikeouts per nine (10.02 to 7.44). By rate, Liam Hendriks struck out 10.02 and walked 2.25 per nine innings; Bruce Sutter struck out 7.44 and walked 2.67.
Liam Hendriks vs Bruce Sutter: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Liam Hendriks or Bruce Sutter?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bruce Sutter leads Liam Hendriks in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bruce Sutter, with 2.83 to Liam Hendriks's 3.88.
- Who won more games?
- Bruce Sutter, with 68 to Liam Hendriks's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bruce Sutter, with 861 to Liam Hendriks's 739.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bruce Sutter, with 1.14 to Liam Hendriks's 1.20.