Kenley Jansen vs Bruce Sutter: Career Stats Comparison
Kenley Jansen has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Kenley Jansen has played 2010–present 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
Kenley Jansen (2010–present) and Bruce Sutter (1976–1988) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Kenley Jansen has 58 wins and 1,329 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; 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? Kenley Jansen, with 2.60 to Bruce Sutter's 2.83.
- Who won more games? Bruce Sutter, with 68 to Kenley Jansen's 58.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Kenley Jansen, with 1,329 to Bruce Sutter's 861.
- Who had the better WHIP? Kenley Jansen, with 0.97 to Bruce Sutter's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Bruce Sutter, with 1,042.0 to Kenley Jansen's 972.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Kenley Jansen, with 34,863 career Pitcher PIV to Bruce Sutter's 23,292.
Kenley Jansen
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.
Kenley Jansen is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Kenley Jansen | Bruce Sutter |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 58 | Leads: 68 |
| Losses not scored | 46 | 71 |
| Games | Leads: 983 | 661 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 498 | 300 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,329 | 861 |
| Walks not scored | 305 | 309 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 634 | 879 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 95 | 77 |
| Innings Pitched | 972.1 | Leads: 1,042.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.60 | 2.83 |
| WHIP | Leads: 0.97 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 12.30 | 7.44 |
| BB/9 | 2.82 | Leads: 2.67 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Kenley Jansen outpaces Bruce Sutter 34,863 to 23,292 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,179 PIV per season to 1,941, across 16 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).
Kenley Jansen
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, Kenley Jansen leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Bruce Sutter owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Kenley Jansen. PIV agrees: Kenley Jansen grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Kenley Jansen and Bruce Sutter careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Bruce Sutter's ended in 1988, and Kenley Jansen debuted in 2010. With 983 games against 661 across 16 and 12 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Bruce Sutter are wins (68 to 58), innings (1,042.0 to 972.1), and walks per nine (2.67 to 2.82). By rate, Kenley Jansen struck out 12.30 and walked 2.82 per nine innings; Bruce Sutter struck out 7.44 and walked 2.67. Kenley Jansen worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 983 games, 498 saves), and Bruce Sutter worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 661 games, 300 saves). Kenley Jansen's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Kenley Jansen vs Bruce Sutter: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Kenley Jansen or Bruce Sutter?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Kenley Jansen leads Bruce Sutter in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Kenley Jansen, with 2.60 to Bruce Sutter's 2.83.
- Who won more games?
- Bruce Sutter, with 68 to Kenley Jansen's 58.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Kenley Jansen, with 1,329 to Bruce Sutter's 861.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Kenley Jansen, with 0.97 to Bruce Sutter's 1.14.