Corey Kluber vs CC Sabathia: Career Stats Comparison

Corey Kluber (2011–2023) and CC Sabathia (2001–2019) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Corey Kluber compiled 116 wins and 1,725 strikeouts; CC Sabathia put up 251 wins and 3,093 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Corey Kluber

Pitcher · 2011–2023
Wins
116
Losses
77
Strikeouts
1,725
ERA
3.44
WHIP
1.13
IP
1,641
View Corey Kluber's full profile →

CC Sabathia

Pitcher · 2001–2019
Wins
251
Losses
161
Strikeouts
3,093
ERA
3.74
WHIP
1.26
IP
3,577
View CC Sabathia's full profile →

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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.

Statistic Corey Kluber CC Sabathia
Wins 116 251
Losses 77 161
Games 271 561
Games Started 260 560
Complete Games 18 38
Shutouts 8 12
Saves 1 0
Strikeouts 1,725 3,093
Walks 368 1,099
Hits Allowed 1,486 3,404
Home Runs Allowed 177 382
Innings Pitched 1,641 3,577
ERA 3.44 3.74
WHIP 1.13 1.26
K/9 9.46 7.78
BB/9 2.02 2.76

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), CC Sabathia leads Corey Kluber 43,212 to 36,049 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,161 vs 2,773 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Corey Kluber
36,049
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,773 per season (13 seasons)
CC Sabathia
43,212
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,161 per season (20 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).

Corey Kluber — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20172.25 ERA18-4, 265 K in 203 IP
20142.44 ERA18-9, 269 K in 235 IP
20182.89 ERA20-7, 222 K in 215 IP

CC Sabathia — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20081.65 ERA11-2, 128 K in 130 IP
20113.00 ERA19-8, 230 K in 237 IP
20103.18 ERA21-7, 197 K in 237 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, CC Sabathia leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Corey Kluber owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to CC Sabathia. PIV agrees: CC Sabathia grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

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