Pedro Martinez vs Johan Santana: Career Stats Comparison
Pedro Martinez has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 12 statistical categories compared on this page. Pedro Martinez played 1992–2009 as a pitcher; Johan Santana played 2000–2012 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
Pedro Martinez (1992–2009) and Johan Santana (2000–2012) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Pedro Martinez compiled 219 wins and 3,154 strikeouts; Johan Santana put up 139 wins and 1,988 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Pedro Martinez, with 2.93 to Johan Santana's 3.20.
- Who won more games? Pedro Martinez, with 219 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Pedro Martinez, with 3,154 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP? Pedro Martinez, with 1.05 to Johan Santana's 1.13.
- Who pitched more innings? Pedro Martinez, with 2,827 to Johan Santana's 2,025.
- Who threw more shutouts? Pedro Martinez, with 17 to Johan Santana's 10.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Pedro Martinez, with 113,314 career Pitcher PIV to Johan Santana's 48,732.
Pedro Martinez
Johan Santana
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. 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: compare them with the era in mind, or use the PIV card below, which is.
| Statistic | Pedro Martinez | Johan Santana |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 219 | 139 |
| Losses | 100 | 78 |
| Games | Leads: 476 | 360 |
| Games Started | Leads: 409 | 284 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 46 | 15 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 17 | 10 |
| Saves | Leads: 3 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,154 | 1,988 |
| Walks | 760 | 567 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,221 | 1,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 239 | 220 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,827 | 2,025 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.93 | 3.20 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.05 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.04 | 8.83 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.42 | 2.52 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pedro Martinez outpaces Johan Santana 113,314 to 48,732 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (6,295 vs 4,061 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Pedro Martinez — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Johan Santana — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pedro Martinez leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Johan Santana owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pedro Martinez. PIV agrees: Pedro Martinez grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Pedro Martinez vs Johan Santana: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Pedro Martinez or Johan Santana?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pedro Martinez leads Johan Santana in 12 of 12 categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Pedro Martinez, with 2.93 to Johan Santana's 3.20.
- Who won more games?
- Pedro Martinez, with 219 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Pedro Martinez, with 3,154 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Pedro Martinez, with 1.05 to Johan Santana's 1.13.