Trevor Hoffman vs Bruce Sutter: Career Stats Comparison
Trevor Hoffman 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). Trevor Hoffman played 1993–2010 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
Trevor Hoffman (1993–2010) and Bruce Sutter (1976–1988) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Trevor Hoffman finished with 61 wins and 1,133 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 Trevor Hoffman's 2.87.
- Who won more games? Bruce Sutter, with 68 to Trevor Hoffman's 61.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Trevor Hoffman, with 1,133 to Bruce Sutter's 861.
- Who had the better WHIP? Trevor Hoffman, with 1.06 to Bruce Sutter's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Trevor Hoffman, with 1,089.1 to Bruce Sutter's 1,042.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Trevor Hoffman, with 37,065 career Pitcher PIV to Bruce Sutter's 23,292.
Trevor Hoffman
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 1990s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Trevor Hoffman | Bruce Sutter |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 61 | Leads: 68 |
| Losses not scored | 75 | 71 |
| Games | Leads: 1,035 | 661 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 601 | 300 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,133 | 861 |
| Walks not scored | 307 | 309 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 846 | 879 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 100 | 77 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,089.1 | 1,042.0 |
| ERA | 2.87 | Leads: 2.83 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.36 | 7.44 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.54 | 2.67 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Trevor Hoffman outpaces Bruce Sutter 37,065 to 23,292 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,951 PIV per season to 1,941, across 19 seasons to 12. 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).
Trevor Hoffman
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, Trevor Hoffman leads in strikeouts, WHIP, K/9, and innings pitched, while Bruce Sutter owns wins and ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Trevor Hoffman. PIV agrees: Trevor Hoffman grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Trevor Hoffman and Bruce Sutter careers compare
Bruce Sutter (1976–1988) was finished before Trevor Hoffman (1993–2010) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Trevor Hoffman appeared in 1,035 games to Bruce Sutter's 661. Bruce Sutter's edges on the table are wins (68 to 61) and ERA (2.83 to 2.87). The per-nine rows read 9.36 strikeouts and 2.54 walks for Trevor Hoffman, 7.44 and 2.67 for Bruce Sutter. Both had the same role: Trevor Hoffman worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 1,035 games, 601 saves); Bruce Sutter worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 661 games, 300 saves). In WHIP, Trevor Hoffman's 1.06 beats Bruce Sutter's 1.14.
Trevor Hoffman vs Bruce Sutter: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Trevor Hoffman or Bruce Sutter?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Trevor Hoffman leads Bruce Sutter in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bruce Sutter, with 2.83 to Trevor Hoffman's 2.87.
- Who won more games?
- Bruce Sutter, with 68 to Trevor Hoffman's 61.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Trevor Hoffman, with 1,133 to Bruce Sutter's 861.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Trevor Hoffman, with 1.06 to Bruce Sutter's 1.14.