Andy Pettitte vs CC Sabathia: Career Stats Comparison
CC Sabathia has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Andy Pettitte played 1995–2013 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
Andy Pettitte (1995–2013) and CC Sabathia (2001–2019) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Andy Pettitte finished with 256 wins and 2,448 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? CC Sabathia, with 3.74 to Andy Pettitte's 3.85.
- Who won more games? Andy Pettitte, with 256 to CC Sabathia's 251.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? CC Sabathia, with 3,093 to Andy Pettitte's 2,448.
- Who had the better WHIP? CC Sabathia, with 1.26 to Andy Pettitte's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? CC Sabathia, with 3,577.1 to Andy Pettitte's 3,316.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? CC Sabathia, with 12 to Andy Pettitte's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Andy Pettitte, with 57,293 career Pitcher PIV to CC Sabathia's 43,212.
Andy Pettitte
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, and the 1990s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Andy Pettitte | CC Sabathia |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 256 | 251 |
| Losses not scored | 153 | 161 |
| Games | 531 | Leads: 561 |
| Games Started | 521 | Leads: 560 |
| Complete Games | 26 | Leads: 38 |
| Shutouts | 4 | Leads: 12 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,448 | Leads: 3,093 |
| Walks not scored | 1,031 | 1,099 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,448 | 3,404 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 288 | 382 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,316.0 | Leads: 3,577.1 |
| ERA | 3.85 | Leads: 3.74 |
| WHIP | 1.35 | Leads: 1.26 |
| K/9 | 6.64 | Leads: 7.78 |
| BB/9 | 2.80 | Leads: 2.76 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Andy Pettitte leads CC Sabathia 57,293 to 43,212 — driven by per-season impact — 3,183 PIV per season to 2,161 — rather than by longevity, since Andy Pettitte played 18 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).
Andy Pettitte — 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 strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Andy Pettitte owns wins. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to CC Sabathia. Note that PIV actually grades Andy Pettitte 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 Andy Pettitte and CC Sabathia careers compare
The careers of Andy Pettitte (1995–2013) and CC Sabathia (2001–2019) overlapped from 2001 to 2013, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 531 games for Andy Pettitte and 561 for CC Sabathia across 18 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Andy Pettitte's edges on the table are wins (256 to 251). By rate, Andy Pettitte struck out 6.64 and walked 2.80 per nine innings; CC Sabathia struck out 7.78 and walked 2.76. Both had the same role: Andy Pettitte was mainly a starter (521 starts in 531 games); CC Sabathia was mainly a starter (560 starts in 561 games).
Andy Pettitte vs CC Sabathia: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Andy Pettitte or CC Sabathia?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, CC Sabathia leads Andy Pettitte in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- CC Sabathia, with 3.74 to Andy Pettitte's 3.85.
- Who won more games?
- Andy Pettitte, with 256 to CC Sabathia's 251.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- CC Sabathia, with 3,093 to Andy Pettitte's 2,448.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- CC Sabathia, with 1.26 to Andy Pettitte's 1.35.