Roy Oswalt vs David Price: Career Stats Comparison
Roy Oswalt and David Price are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Roy Oswalt played 2001–2013 as a pitcher; David Price played 2008–2022 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
Roy Oswalt (2001–2013) and David Price (2008–2022) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Roy Oswalt finished with 163 wins and 1,852 strikeouts; David Price finished with 157 wins and 2,076 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? David Price, with 3.32 to Roy Oswalt's 3.36.
- Who won more games? Roy Oswalt, with 163 to David Price's 157.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? David Price, with 2,076 to Roy Oswalt's 1,852.
- Who had the better WHIP? David Price, with 1.16 to Roy Oswalt's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? Roy Oswalt, with 2,245.1 to David Price's 2,143.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Roy Oswalt, with 8 to David Price's 3.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roy Oswalt, with 55,095 career Pitcher PIV to David Price's 36,995.
Roy Oswalt
David Price
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roy Oswalt | David Price |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 163 | 157 |
| Losses not scored | 102 | 82 |
| Games | 365 | Leads: 400 |
| Games Started | Leads: 341 | 322 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 20 | 17 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 8 | 3 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 3 |
| Strikeouts | 1,852 | Leads: 2,076 |
| Walks not scored | 520 | 562 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,199 | 1,930 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 197 | 221 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,245.1 | 2,143.2 |
| ERA | 3.36 | Leads: 3.32 |
| WHIP | 1.21 | Leads: 1.16 |
| K/9 | 7.42 | Leads: 8.72 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.08 | 2.36 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roy Oswalt outpaces David Price 55,095 to 36,995 — driven by per-season impact — 3,935 PIV per season to 2,312 — rather than by longevity, since Roy Oswalt played 14 seasons to David Price'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).
Roy Oswalt — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
David Price — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Price leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Roy Oswalt owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Price. Note that PIV actually grades Roy Oswalt ahead, which means David Price's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Roy Oswalt and David Price careers compare
Roy Oswalt and David Price were active at the same time between 2008 and 2013. The two careers are close in length, 365 games for Roy Oswalt and 400 for David Price across 14 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. By rate, Roy Oswalt struck out 7.42 and walked 2.08 per nine innings; David Price struck out 8.72 and walked 2.36. Roy Oswalt was mainly a starter (341 starts in 365 games), and David Price was mainly a starter (322 starts in 400 games). In WHIP, David Price's 1.16 beats Roy Oswalt's 1.21.
Roy Oswalt vs David Price: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- David Price, with 3.32 to Roy Oswalt's 3.36.
- Who won more games?
- Roy Oswalt, with 163 to David Price's 157.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- David Price, with 2,076 to Roy Oswalt's 1,852.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- David Price, with 1.16 to Roy Oswalt's 1.21.