Juan Marichal vs Chris Sale: Career Stats Comparison
Juan Marichal 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). Juan Marichal played 1960–1975 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
Juan Marichal (1960–1975) and Chris Sale (2010–present) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Juan Marichal finished with 243 wins and 2,303 strikeouts; Chris Sale has 159 wins and 2,779 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Chris Sale's 2.95.
- Who won more games? Juan Marichal, with 243 to Chris Sale's 159.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Chris Sale, with 2,779 to Juan Marichal's 2,303.
- Who had the better WHIP? Chris Sale, with 1.04 to Juan Marichal's 1.10.
- Who pitched more innings? Juan Marichal, with 3,507.1 to Chris Sale's 2,246.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Juan Marichal, with 52 to Chris Sale's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Chris Sale, with 65,834 career Pitcher PIV to Juan Marichal's 48,870.
Juan Marichal
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 1960s 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 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Juan Marichal | Chris Sale |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 243 | 159 |
| Losses not scored | 142 | 97 |
| Games | Leads: 471 | 420 |
| Games Started | Leads: 457 | 339 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 244 | 17 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 52 | 4 |
| Saves | 2 | Leads: 12 |
| Strikeouts | 2,303 | Leads: 2,779 |
| Walks not scored | 709 | 518 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,153 | 1,821 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 320 | 223 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,507.1 | 2,246.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.89 | 2.95 |
| WHIP | 1.10 | Leads: 1.04 |
| K/9 | 5.91 | Leads: 11.13 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.82 | 2.08 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Chris Sale outpaces Juan Marichal 65,834 to 48,870 — driven by per-season impact — 4,389 PIV per season to 3,054 — rather than by longevity, since Chris Sale played 15 seasons to Juan Marichal's 16. 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).
Juan Marichal — 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, Chris Sale leads in strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Juan Marichal owns wins, ERA, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Chris Sale. PIV agrees: Chris Sale grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Juan Marichal and Chris Sale careers compare
Juan Marichal (1960–1975) was finished before Chris Sale (2010–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 471 games for Juan Marichal and 420 for Chris Sale across 16 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Chris Sale's edges on the table are saves (12 to 2), strikeouts (2,779 to 2,303), and WHIP (1.04 to 1.10). By rate, Juan Marichal struck out 5.91 and walked 1.82 per nine innings; Chris Sale struck out 11.13 and walked 2.08. Juan Marichal was mainly a starter (457 starts in 471 games), and Chris Sale was mainly a starter (339 starts in 420 games). Chris Sale's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Juan Marichal vs Chris Sale: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Juan Marichal or Chris Sale?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Juan Marichal leads Chris Sale in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Chris Sale's 2.95.
- Who won more games?
- Juan Marichal, with 243 to Chris Sale's 159.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Chris Sale, with 2,779 to Juan Marichal's 2,303.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Chris Sale, with 1.04 to Juan Marichal's 1.10.