Tim Hudson vs Johan Santana: Career Stats Comparison
Tim Hudson 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). Tim Hudson played 1999–2015 as a pitcher; Johan Santana played 2000–2012 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
Tim Hudson (1999–2015) and Johan Santana (2000–2012) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Tim Hudson finished with 222 wins and 2,080 strikeouts; Johan Santana finished with 139 wins and 1,988 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Johan Santana, with 3.20 to Tim Hudson's 3.49.
- Who won more games? Tim Hudson, with 222 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tim Hudson, with 2,080 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP? Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Tim Hudson's 1.24.
- Who pitched more innings? Tim Hudson, with 3,126.2 to Johan Santana's 2,025.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tim Hudson, with 13 to Johan Santana's 10.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Johan Santana, with 48,732 career Pitcher PIV to Tim Hudson's 40,402.
Tim Hudson
Johan Santana
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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Tim Hudson | Johan Santana |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 222 | 139 |
| Losses not scored | 133 | 78 |
| Games | Leads: 482 | 360 |
| Games Started | Leads: 479 | 284 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 26 | 15 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 13 | 10 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,080 | 1,988 |
| Walks not scored | 917 | 567 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,957 | 1,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 248 | 220 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,126.2 | 2,025.2 |
| ERA | 3.49 | Leads: 3.20 |
| WHIP | 1.24 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 5.99 | Leads: 8.83 |
| BB/9 | 2.64 | Leads: 2.52 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johan Santana leads Tim Hudson 48,732 to 40,402 — driven by per-season impact — 4,061 PIV per season to 2,377 — rather than by longevity, since Johan Santana played 12 seasons to Tim Hudson's 17. 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).
Tim Hudson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Johan Santana — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Johan Santana leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Tim Hudson owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Johan Santana. PIV agrees: Johan Santana grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tim Hudson and Johan Santana careers compare
From 2000 through 2012, Tim Hudson and Johan Santana were in the majors together. With 482 games against 360 across 17 and 12 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The per-nine rows read 5.99 strikeouts and 2.64 walks for Tim Hudson, 8.83 and 2.52 for Johan Santana. Both had the same role: Tim Hudson was mainly a starter (479 starts in 482 games); Johan Santana was mainly a starter (284 starts in 360 games). In WHIP, Johan Santana's 1.13 beats Tim Hudson's 1.24. Johan Santana owns the better peak by ERA: 2.70 ERA in 2003 for Tim Hudson against 2.53 ERA in 2008 for Johan Santana.
Tim Hudson vs Johan Santana: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tim Hudson or Johan Santana?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tim Hudson leads Johan Santana in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Johan Santana, with 3.20 to Tim Hudson's 3.49.
- Who won more games?
- Tim Hudson, with 222 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tim Hudson, with 2,080 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Tim Hudson's 1.24.