Roy Oswalt vs Johan Santana: Career Stats Comparison
Roy Oswalt (2001–2013) and Johan Santana (2000–2012) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Roy Oswalt compiled 163 wins and 1,852 strikeouts; Johan Santana put up 139 wins and 1,988 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Roy Oswalt | Johan Santana |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 163 | 139 |
| Losses | 102 | 78 |
| Games | 365 | 360 |
| Games Started | 341 | 284 |
| Complete Games | 20 | 15 |
| Shutouts | 8 | 10 |
| Saves | 0 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | 1,852 | 1,988 |
| Walks | 520 | 567 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,199 | 1,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 197 | 220 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,245 | 2,025 |
| ERA | 3.36 | 3.20 |
| WHIP | 1.21 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | 7.42 | 8.83 |
| BB/9 | 2.08 | 2.52 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roy Oswalt leads Johan Santana 55,095 to 48,732 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,935 vs 4,061 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).
Roy Oswalt — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Johan Santana — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Johan Santana 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 Johan Santana. Note that PIV actually grades Roy Oswalt ahead, which means Johan Santana's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.