Andy Pettitte vs Johan Santana: Career Stats Comparison
Andy Pettitte and Johan Santana are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Andy Pettitte played 1995–2013 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
Andy Pettitte (1995–2013) and Johan Santana (2000–2012) — 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; Johan Santana finished with 139 wins and 1,988 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Johan Santana, with 3.20 to Andy Pettitte's 3.85.
- Who won more games? Andy Pettitte, with 256 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Andy Pettitte, with 2,448 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP? Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Andy Pettitte's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Andy Pettitte, with 3,316.0 to Johan Santana's 2,025.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Johan Santana, with 10 to Andy Pettitte's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Andy Pettitte, with 57,293 career Pitcher PIV to Johan Santana's 48,732.
Andy Pettitte
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. 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 | Johan Santana |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 256 | 139 |
| Losses not scored | 153 | 78 |
| Games | Leads: 531 | 360 |
| Games Started | Leads: 521 | 284 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 26 | 15 |
| Shutouts | 4 | Leads: 10 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,448 | 1,988 |
| Walks not scored | 1,031 | 567 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,448 | 1,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 288 | 220 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,316.0 | 2,025.2 |
| ERA | 3.85 | Leads: 3.20 |
| WHIP | 1.35 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 6.64 | Leads: 8.83 |
| BB/9 | 2.80 | Leads: 2.52 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Andy Pettitte leads Johan Santana 57,293 to 48,732 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Andy Pettitte played 18 seasons to Johan Santana's 12, while Johan Santana carries the higher per-season figure (4,061 to 3,183). 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)
Johan Santana — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Andy Pettitte leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Johan Santana owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Andy Pettitte. PIV agrees: Andy Pettitte grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Andy Pettitte and Johan Santana careers compare
From 2000 through 2012, Andy Pettitte and Johan Santana were in the majors together. With 531 games against 360 across 18 and 12 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. By rate, Andy Pettitte struck out 6.64 and walked 2.80 per nine innings; Johan Santana struck out 8.83 and walked 2.52. Andy Pettitte was mainly a starter (521 starts in 531 games), and Johan Santana was mainly a starter (284 starts in 360 games). In WHIP, Johan Santana's 1.13 beats Andy Pettitte's 1.35. Andy Pettitte owns the better peak by ERA: 2.39 ERA in 2005 for Andy Pettitte against 2.53 ERA in 2008 for Johan Santana.
Andy Pettitte vs Johan Santana: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Johan Santana, with 3.20 to Andy Pettitte's 3.85.
- Who won more games?
- Andy Pettitte, with 256 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Andy Pettitte, with 2,448 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Andy Pettitte's 1.35.