Greg Maddux vs Chris Sale: Career Stats Comparison
Greg Maddux 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). Greg Maddux played 1986–2008 as a pitcher; Chris Sale has played 2010–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
Greg Maddux (1986–2008) and Chris Sale (2010–present) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Greg Maddux finished with 355 wins and 3,371 strikeouts; Chris Sale has 159 wins and 2,779 strikeouts through October 6, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Chris Sale, with 2.95 to Greg Maddux's 3.16.
- Who won more games? Greg Maddux, with 355 to Chris Sale's 159.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Chris Sale's 2,779.
- Who had the better WHIP? Chris Sale, with 1.04 to Greg Maddux's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Greg Maddux, with 5,008.1 to Chris Sale's 2,246.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Greg Maddux, with 35 to Chris Sale's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Greg Maddux, with 133,509 career Pitcher PIV to Chris Sale's 65,834.
Greg Maddux
Chris Sale
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 1980s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Chris Sale is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Greg Maddux | Chris Sale |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 355 | 159 |
| Losses not scored | 227 | 97 |
| Games | Leads: 744 | 420 |
| Games Started | Leads: 740 | 339 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 109 | 17 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 35 | 4 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 12 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,371 | 2,779 |
| Walks not scored | 999 | 518 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,726 | 1,821 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 353 | 223 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,008.1 | 2,246.2 |
| ERA | 3.16 | Leads: 2.95 |
| WHIP | 1.14 | Leads: 1.04 |
| K/9 | 6.06 | Leads: 11.13 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.80 | 2.08 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux outpaces Chris Sale 133,509 to 65,834 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,340 PIV per season to 4,389, across 25 seasons to 15. 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).
Greg Maddux — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Chris Sale — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Greg Maddux leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Chris Sale owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Greg Maddux. PIV agrees: Greg Maddux grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Greg Maddux and Chris Sale careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Greg Maddux's ended in 2008, and Chris Sale debuted in 2010. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Greg Maddux appeared in 744 games to Chris Sale's 420. Chris Sale's edges on the table are saves (12 to 0), ERA (2.95 to 3.16), and WHIP (1.04 to 1.14). The per-nine rows read 6.06 strikeouts and 1.80 walks for Greg Maddux, 11.13 and 2.08 for Chris Sale. Greg Maddux was mainly a starter (740 starts in 744 games), and Chris Sale was mainly a starter (339 starts in 420 games). The complete-game row, 109 against 17, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. Chris Sale's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Greg Maddux vs Chris Sale: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Greg Maddux or Chris Sale?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Greg Maddux leads Chris Sale in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Chris Sale, with 2.95 to Greg Maddux's 3.16.
- Who won more games?
- Greg Maddux, with 355 to Chris Sale's 159.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Chris Sale's 2,779.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Chris Sale, with 1.04 to Greg Maddux's 1.14.