Andy Pettitte vs Ben Sheets: Career Stats Comparison
Andy Pettitte has the better career line of the two, leading 6 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; Ben Sheets played 2001–2012 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 Ben Sheets (2001–2012) — 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; Ben Sheets finished with 94 wins and 1,325 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Ben Sheets, with 3.78 to Andy Pettitte's 3.85.
- Who won more games? Andy Pettitte, with 256 to Ben Sheets's 94.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Andy Pettitte, with 2,448 to Ben Sheets's 1,325.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ben Sheets, with 1.22 to Andy Pettitte's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Andy Pettitte, with 3,316.0 to Ben Sheets's 1,596.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Andy Pettitte, with 57,293 career Pitcher PIV to Ben Sheets's 28,864.
Andy Pettitte
Ben Sheets
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 | Ben Sheets |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 256 | 94 |
| Losses not scored | 153 | 96 |
| Games | Leads: 531 | 250 |
| Games Started | Leads: 521 | 250 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 26 | 18 |
| Shutouts | 4 | 4 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,448 | 1,325 |
| Walks not scored | 1,031 | 369 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,448 | 1,577 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 288 | 184 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,316.0 | 1,596.2 |
| ERA | 3.85 | Leads: 3.78 |
| WHIP | 1.35 | Leads: 1.22 |
| K/9 | 6.64 | Leads: 7.47 |
| BB/9 | 2.80 | Leads: 2.08 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Andy Pettitte outpaces Ben Sheets 57,293 to 28,864 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,183 PIV per season to 2,886, across 18 seasons to 10. 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)
Ben Sheets — 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 Ben Sheets 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 Ben Sheets careers compare
Andy Pettitte and Ben Sheets were active at the same time between 2001 and 2012. The table compares 531 games of Andy Pettitte with 250 of Ben Sheets across 18 and 10 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Ben Sheets are ERA (3.78 to 3.85), WHIP (1.22 to 1.35), and strikeouts per nine (7.47 to 6.64). By rate, Andy Pettitte struck out 6.64 and walked 2.80 per nine innings; Ben Sheets struck out 7.47 and walked 2.08. Andy Pettitte was mainly a starter (521 starts in 531 games), and Ben Sheets was mainly a starter (250 starts in 250 games).
Andy Pettitte vs Ben Sheets: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Andy Pettitte or Ben Sheets?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Andy Pettitte leads Ben Sheets in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ben Sheets, with 3.78 to Andy Pettitte's 3.85.
- Who won more games?
- Andy Pettitte, with 256 to Ben Sheets's 94.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Andy Pettitte, with 2,448 to Ben Sheets's 1,325.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ben Sheets, with 1.22 to Andy Pettitte's 1.35.