Walter Johnson vs CC Sabathia: Career Stats Comparison
Walter Johnson 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). Walter Johnson played 1907–1927 as a pitcher; CC Sabathia played 2001–2019 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
Walter Johnson (1907–1927) and CC Sabathia (2001–2019) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Walter Johnson finished with 417 wins and 3,509 strikeouts; CC Sabathia finished with 251 wins and 3,093 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to CC Sabathia's 3.74.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to CC Sabathia's 251.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to CC Sabathia's 3,093.
- Who had the better WHIP? Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to CC Sabathia's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Walter Johnson, with 5,914.2 to CC Sabathia's 3,577.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to CC Sabathia's 12.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Walter Johnson, with 124,021 career Pitcher PIV to CC Sabathia's 43,212.
Walter Johnson
CC Sabathia
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 1900s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Walter Johnson | CC Sabathia |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 417 | 251 |
| Losses not scored | 279 | 161 |
| Games | Leads: 802 | 561 |
| Games Started | Leads: 666 | 560 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 531 | 38 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 110 | 12 |
| Saves | Leads: 34 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,509 | 3,093 |
| Walks not scored | 1,363 | 1,099 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,913 | 3,404 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 382 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,914.2 | 3,577.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.17 | 3.74 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | 5.34 | Leads: 7.78 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.07 | 2.76 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces CC Sabathia 124,021 to 43,212 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,906 PIV per season to 2,161, across 21 seasons to 20. 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).
Walter Johnson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
CC Sabathia — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Walter Johnson leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while CC Sabathia owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Walter Johnson. PIV agrees: Walter Johnson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Walter Johnson and CC Sabathia careers compare
No season is shared: Walter Johnson played 1907–1927, CC Sabathia 2001–2019. The two careers are close in length, 802 games for Walter Johnson and 561 for CC Sabathia across 21 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for CC Sabathia are strikeouts per nine (7.78 to 5.34). By rate, Walter Johnson struck out 5.34 and walked 2.07 per nine innings; CC Sabathia struck out 7.78 and walked 2.76. Both had the same role: Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games); CC Sabathia was mainly a starter (560 starts in 561 games).
Walter Johnson vs CC Sabathia: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Walter Johnson or CC Sabathia?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads CC Sabathia in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to CC Sabathia's 3.74.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to CC Sabathia's 251.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to CC Sabathia's 3,093.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to CC Sabathia's 1.26.