Sandy Koufax vs Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Career Stats Comparison
Sandy Koufax has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Sandy Koufax played 1955–1966 as a pitcher; Yoshinobu Yamamoto has played 2024–present 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
Sandy Koufax (1955–1966) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2024–present) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Sandy Koufax finished with 165 wins and 2,396 strikeouts; Yoshinobu Yamamoto has 33 wins and 488 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with 2.61 to Sandy Koufax's 2.76.
- Who won more games? Sandy Koufax, with 165 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Sandy Koufax, with 2,396 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 488.
- Who had the better WHIP? Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with 0.97 to Sandy Koufax's 1.11.
- Who pitched more innings? Sandy Koufax, with 2,324.1 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 448.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Sandy Koufax, with 40 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Sandy Koufax, with 63,020 career Pitcher PIV to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 8,844.
Sandy Koufax
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
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 1950s and the 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Sandy Koufax | Yoshinobu Yamamoto |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 165 | 33 |
| Losses not scored | 87 | 19 |
| Games | Leads: 397 | 76 |
| Games Started | Leads: 314 | 76 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 137 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 40 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 9 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,396 | 488 |
| Walks not scored | 817 | 123 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,754 | 310 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 204 | 41 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,324.1 | 448.2 |
| ERA | 2.76 | Leads: 2.61 |
| WHIP | 1.11 | Leads: 0.97 |
| K/9 | 9.28 | Leads: 9.79 |
| BB/9 | 3.16 | Leads: 2.47 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Sandy Koufax outpaces Yoshinobu Yamamoto 63,020 to 8,844 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,252 PIV per season to 4,422, across 12 seasons to 2. 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).
Sandy Koufax — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Yoshinobu Yamamoto — top 2 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Sandy Koufax leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Sandy Koufax. PIV agrees: Sandy Koufax grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Sandy Koufax and Yoshinobu Yamamoto careers compare
Sandy Koufax (1955–1966) was finished before Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2024–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 397 games of Sandy Koufax with 76 of Yoshinobu Yamamoto across 12 and 2 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Yoshinobu Yamamoto's edges on the table are ERA (2.61 to 2.76), WHIP (0.97 to 1.11), and strikeouts per nine (9.79 to 9.28). The per-nine rows read 9.28 strikeouts and 3.16 walks for Sandy Koufax, 9.79 and 2.47 for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Both had the same role: Sandy Koufax was mainly a starter (314 starts in 397 games); Yoshinobu Yamamoto was mainly a starter (76 starts in 76 games). Because Yoshinobu Yamamoto is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Sandy Koufax vs Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sandy Koufax or Yoshinobu Yamamoto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Sandy Koufax leads Yoshinobu Yamamoto in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with 2.61 to Sandy Koufax's 2.76.
- Who won more games?
- Sandy Koufax, with 165 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Sandy Koufax, with 2,396 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 488.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with 0.97 to Sandy Koufax's 1.11.