Phil Niekro vs CC Sabathia: Career Stats Comparison
Phil Niekro (1964–1987) and CC Sabathia (2001–2019) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Phil Niekro compiled 318 wins and 3,342 strikeouts; CC Sabathia put up 251 wins and 3,093 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Phil Niekro
CC Sabathia
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Phil Niekro | CC Sabathia |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 318 | 251 |
| Losses | 274 | 161 |
| Games | 864 | 561 |
| Games Started | 716 | 560 |
| Complete Games | 245 | 38 |
| Shutouts | 45 | 12 |
| Saves | 29 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 3,342 | 3,093 |
| Walks | 1,809 | 1,099 |
| Hits Allowed | 5,044 | 3,404 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 482 | 382 |
| Innings Pitched | 5,404 | 3,577 |
| ERA | 3.35 | 3.74 |
| WHIP | 1.27 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | 5.57 | 7.78 |
| BB/9 | 3.01 | 2.76 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), CC Sabathia outpaces Phil Niekro 43,212 to 13,102 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,161 vs 504 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).
Phil Niekro — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
CC Sabathia — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Phil Niekro leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while CC Sabathia owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Phil Niekro. Note that PIV actually grades CC Sabathia ahead, which means Phil Niekro's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.