Roy Oswalt vs CC Sabathia: Career Stats Comparison
CC Sabathia 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). Roy Oswalt played 2001–2013 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
Roy Oswalt (2001–2013) and CC Sabathia (2001–2019) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Roy Oswalt finished with 163 wins and 1,852 strikeouts; CC Sabathia finished with 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? Roy Oswalt, with 3.36 to CC Sabathia's 3.74.
- Who won more games? CC Sabathia, with 251 to Roy Oswalt's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? CC Sabathia, with 3,093 to Roy Oswalt's 1,852.
- Who had the better WHIP? Roy Oswalt, with 1.21 to CC Sabathia's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? CC Sabathia, with 3,577.1 to Roy Oswalt's 2,245.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? CC Sabathia, with 12 to Roy Oswalt's 8.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roy Oswalt, with 55,095 career Pitcher PIV to CC Sabathia's 43,212.
Roy Oswalt
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. 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 | CC Sabathia |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 163 | Leads: 251 |
| Losses not scored | 102 | 161 |
| Games | 365 | Leads: 561 |
| Games Started | 341 | Leads: 560 |
| Complete Games | 20 | Leads: 38 |
| Shutouts | 8 | Leads: 12 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,852 | Leads: 3,093 |
| Walks not scored | 520 | 1,099 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,199 | 3,404 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 197 | 382 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,245.1 | Leads: 3,577.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.36 | 3.74 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.21 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | 7.42 | Leads: 7.78 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.08 | 2.76 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roy Oswalt leads CC Sabathia 55,095 to 43,212 — driven by per-season impact — 3,935 PIV per season to 2,161 — rather than by longevity, since Roy Oswalt played 14 seasons to CC Sabathia's 20. 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)
CC Sabathia — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, CC Sabathia leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Roy Oswalt owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to CC Sabathia. Note that PIV actually grades Roy Oswalt ahead, which means CC Sabathia's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Roy Oswalt and CC Sabathia careers compare
The careers of Roy Oswalt (2001–2013) and CC Sabathia (2001–2019) overlapped from 2001 to 2013, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. CC Sabathia has the far longer record, 561 games against 365 across 14 and 20 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Roy Oswalt comes out ahead, it is in ERA (3.36 to 3.74), WHIP (1.21 to 1.26), and walks per nine (2.08 to 2.76). The per-nine rows read 7.42 strikeouts and 2.08 walks for Roy Oswalt, 7.78 and 2.76 for CC Sabathia.
Roy Oswalt vs CC Sabathia: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roy Oswalt or CC Sabathia?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, CC Sabathia leads Roy Oswalt in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Roy Oswalt, with 3.36 to CC Sabathia's 3.74.
- Who won more games?
- CC Sabathia, with 251 to Roy Oswalt's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- CC Sabathia, with 3,093 to Roy Oswalt's 1,852.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Roy Oswalt, with 1.21 to CC Sabathia's 1.26.