David Price vs Chris Sale: Career Stats Comparison
Chris Sale has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). David Price played 2008–2022 as a pitcher; Chris Sale has played 2010–present 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
David Price (2008–2022) and Chris Sale (2010–present) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. David Price finished with 157 wins and 2,076 strikeouts; Chris Sale has 159 wins and 2,779 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Chris Sale, with 2.95 to David Price's 3.32.
- Who won more games? Chris Sale, with 159 to David Price's 157.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Chris Sale, with 2,779 to David Price's 2,076.
- Who had the better WHIP? Chris Sale, with 1.04 to David Price's 1.16.
- Who pitched more innings? Chris Sale, with 2,246.2 to David Price's 2,143.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Chris Sale, with 4 to David Price's 3.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Chris Sale, with 65,834 career Pitcher PIV to David Price's 36,995.
David Price
Chris Sale
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 2000s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Chris Sale is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | David Price | Chris Sale |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 157 | Leads: 159 |
| Losses not scored | 82 | 97 |
| Games | 400 | Leads: 420 |
| Games Started | 322 | Leads: 339 |
| Complete Games | 17 | 17 |
| Shutouts | 3 | Leads: 4 |
| Saves | 3 | Leads: 12 |
| Strikeouts | 2,076 | Leads: 2,779 |
| Walks not scored | 562 | 518 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,930 | 1,821 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 221 | 223 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,143.2 | Leads: 2,246.2 |
| ERA | 3.32 | Leads: 2.95 |
| WHIP | 1.16 | Leads: 1.04 |
| K/9 | 8.72 | Leads: 11.13 |
| BB/9 | 2.36 | Leads: 2.08 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Chris Sale outpaces David Price 65,834 to 36,995 — driven by per-season impact — 4,389 PIV per season to 2,312 — rather than by longevity, since Chris Sale played 15 seasons to David Price's 16. 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).
David Price — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Chris Sale — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Chris Sale leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while David Price owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Chris Sale. PIV agrees: Chris Sale grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the David Price and Chris Sale careers compare
The careers of David Price (2008–2022) and Chris Sale (2010–present) overlapped from 2010 to 2022, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 400 games against 420 across 16 and 15 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Every scored category on the table goes to Chris Sale. By rate, David Price struck out 8.72 and walked 2.36 per nine innings; Chris Sale struck out 11.13 and walked 2.08. Both had the same role: David Price was mainly a starter (322 starts in 400 games); Chris Sale was mainly a starter (339 starts in 420 games). In WHIP, Chris Sale's 1.04 beats David Price's 1.16. Because Chris Sale is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
David Price vs Chris Sale: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, David Price or Chris Sale?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Chris Sale leads David Price in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Chris Sale, with 2.95 to David Price's 3.32.
- Who won more games?
- Chris Sale, with 159 to David Price's 157.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Chris Sale, with 2,779 to David Price's 2,076.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Chris Sale, with 1.04 to David Price's 1.16.