Roy Oswalt vs Johan Santana: Career Stats Comparison
Johan Santana has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Roy Oswalt played 2001–2013 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
Roy Oswalt (2001–2013) and Johan Santana (2000–2012) — both debuted in the 2000s. Roy Oswalt finished with 163 wins and 1,852 strikeouts; Johan Santana finished with 139 wins and 1,988 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Johan Santana, in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Johan Santana, with 3.20 to Roy Oswalt's 3.36.
- Who won more games? Roy Oswalt, with 163 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Johan Santana, with 1,988 to Roy Oswalt's 1,852.
- Who had the better WHIP? Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Roy Oswalt's 1.21.
- How many innings did each pitch? Roy Oswalt 2,245.1, Johan Santana 2,025.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Johan Santana, with 10 to Roy Oswalt's 8.
Roy Oswalt
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | Johan Santana |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 163 | 139 |
| Losses not scored | 102 | 78 |
| Games not scored | 365 | 360 |
| Games Started not scored | 341 | 284 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 20 | 15 |
| Shutouts | 8 | Leads: 10 |
| Saves not scored | 0 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | 1,852 | Leads: 1,988 |
| Walks not scored | 520 | 567 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,199 | 1,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 197 | 220 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,245.1 | 2,025.2 |
| ERA | 3.36 | Leads: 3.20 |
| WHIP | 1.21 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 7.42 | Leads: 8.83 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.08 | 2.52 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roy Oswalt leads Johan Santana 55,095 to 48,732 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,238 PIV per season to 4,061, across 13 seasons to 12. 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).
Roy Oswalt — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Johan Santana — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Johan Santana leads 5 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: shutouts, strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and others. Roy Oswalt leads 3: wins, complete games, and walks per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Johan Santana. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Roy Oswalt higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Roy Oswalt and Johan Santana careers compare
Roy Oswalt and Johan Santana were active at the same time between 2001 and 2012. With 365 games against 360 across 13 and 12 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Roy Oswalt are wins (163 to 139), complete games (20 to 15), and walks per nine (2.08 to 2.52). By rate, Roy Oswalt struck out 7.42 and walked 2.08 per nine innings; Johan Santana struck out 8.83 and walked 2.52. Both had the same role: Roy Oswalt was mainly a starter (341 starts in 365 games); Johan Santana was mainly a starter (284 starts in 360 games). In WHIP, Johan Santana's 1.13 beats Roy Oswalt's 1.21.
Roy Oswalt vs Johan Santana: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roy Oswalt or Johan Santana?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Johan Santana leads Roy Oswalt in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Johan Santana, with 3.20 to Roy Oswalt's 3.36.
- Who won more games?
- Roy Oswalt, with 163 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Johan Santana, with 1,988 to Roy Oswalt's 1,852.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Roy Oswalt's 1.21.