David Price vs Johan Santana: Career Stats Comparison
David Price has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; 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
David Price (2008–2022) and Johan Santana (2000–2012) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. David Price finished with 157 wins and 2,076 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 David Price's 3.32.
- Who won more games? David Price, with 157 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? David Price, with 2,076 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP? Johan Santana, with 1.13 to David Price's 1.16.
- Who pitched more innings? David Price, with 2,143.2 to Johan Santana's 2,025.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Johan Santana, with 10 to David Price's 3.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Johan Santana, with 48,732 career Pitcher PIV to David Price's 36,995.
David Price
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | David Price | Johan Santana |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 157 | 139 |
| Losses not scored | 82 | 78 |
| Games | Leads: 400 | 360 |
| Games Started | Leads: 322 | 284 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 17 | 15 |
| Shutouts | 3 | Leads: 10 |
| Saves | Leads: 3 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,076 | 1,988 |
| Walks not scored | 562 | 567 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,930 | 1,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 221 | 220 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,143.2 | 2,025.2 |
| ERA | 3.32 | Leads: 3.20 |
| WHIP | 1.16 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 8.72 | Leads: 8.83 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.36 | 2.52 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johan Santana leads David Price 48,732 to 36,995 — driven by per-season impact — 4,061 PIV per season to 2,312 — rather than by longevity, since Johan Santana played 12 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)
Johan Santana — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Johan Santana leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while David Price owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Johan Santana. PIV agrees: Johan Santana 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 Johan Santana careers compare
The careers of David Price (2008–2022) and Johan Santana (2000–2012) overlapped from 2008 to 2012, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 400 games for David Price and 360 for Johan Santana across 16 and 12 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Johan Santana are shutouts (10 to 3), ERA (3.20 to 3.32), and WHIP (1.13 to 1.16). By rate, David Price struck out 8.72 and walked 2.36 per nine innings; Johan Santana struck out 8.83 and walked 2.52.
David Price vs Johan Santana: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, David Price or Johan Santana?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Price leads Johan Santana in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Johan Santana, with 3.20 to David Price's 3.32.
- Who won more games?
- David Price, with 157 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- David Price, with 2,076 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Johan Santana, with 1.13 to David Price's 1.16.