Mike Mussina vs CC Sabathia: Career Stats Comparison

Mike Mussina has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 11 statistical categories compared on this page. Mike Mussina played 1991–2008 as a pitcher; CC Sabathia played 2001–2019 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

Mike Mussina (1991–2008) and CC Sabathia (2001–2019) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Mike Mussina compiled 270 wins and 2,813 strikeouts; CC Sabathia put up 251 wins and 3,093 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Quick answer

  • Who had the better ERA? Mike Mussina, with 3.68 to CC Sabathia's 3.74.
  • Who won more games? Mike Mussina, with 270 to CC Sabathia's 251.
  • Who recorded more strikeouts? CC Sabathia, with 3,093 to Mike Mussina's 2,813.
  • Who had the better WHIP? Mike Mussina, with 1.19 to CC Sabathia's 1.26.
  • Who pitched more innings? CC Sabathia, with 3,577 to Mike Mussina's 3,562.
  • Who threw more shutouts? Mike Mussina, with 23 to CC Sabathia's 12.
  • Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Mike Mussina, with 76,572 career Pitcher PIV to CC Sabathia's 43,212.
Leads Mike Mussina 6 of 11 awarded categories
Pitcher PIV edge Mike Mussina +33,360
Read the verdict ↓

Mike Mussina

Pitcher · 1991–2008
Wins
270
Losses
153
Strikeouts
2,813
ERA
3.68
WHIP
1.19
IP
3,562
View Mike Mussina'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. 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.

Mike Mussina vs CC Sabathia: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Mike Mussina CC Sabathia
Wins Leads: 270 251
Losses 153 161
Games 537 Leads: 561
Games Started 536 Leads: 560
Complete Games Leads: 57 38
Shutouts Leads: 23 12
Saves 0 0
Strikeouts 2,813 Leads: 3,093
Walks 785 1,099
Hits Allowed 3,460 3,404
Home Runs Allowed 376 382
Innings Pitched 3,562 Leads: 3,577
ERA Leads: 3.68 3.74
WHIP Leads: 1.19 1.26
K/9 7.11 Leads: 7.78
BB/9 Leads: 1.98 2.76

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mike Mussina outpaces CC Sabathia 76,572 to 43,212 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,254 vs 2,161 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Mike Mussina
76,572
Career Pitcher PIV · 4,254 per season (18 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).

Mike Mussina — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19922.54 ERA18-5, 130 K in 241 IP
19943.06 ERA16-5, 99 K in 176 IP
20013.15 ERA17-11, 214 K in 228 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, Mike Mussina leads in wins, ERA, and WHIP, while CC Sabathia owns strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mike Mussina. PIV agrees: Mike Mussina grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

Related Matchups

Mike Mussina vs CC Sabathia: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Mike Mussina or CC Sabathia?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Mike Mussina leads CC Sabathia in 6 of 11 categories.
Who had the better ERA?
Mike Mussina, with 3.68 to CC Sabathia's 3.74.
Who won more games?
Mike Mussina, with 270 to CC Sabathia's 251.
Who recorded more strikeouts?
CC Sabathia, with 3,093 to Mike Mussina's 2,813.
Who had the better WHIP?
Mike Mussina, with 1.19 to CC Sabathia's 1.26.

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