David Price vs Ben Sheets: Career Stats Comparison
David Price has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; 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
David Price (2008–2022) and Ben Sheets (2001–2012) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. David Price finished with 157 wins and 2,076 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? David Price, with 3.32 to Ben Sheets's 3.78.
- Who won more games? David Price, with 157 to Ben Sheets's 94.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? David Price, with 2,076 to Ben Sheets's 1,325.
- Who had the better WHIP? David Price, with 1.16 to Ben Sheets's 1.22.
- Who pitched more innings? David Price, with 2,143.2 to Ben Sheets's 1,596.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Ben Sheets, with 4 to David Price's 3.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? David Price, with 36,995 career Pitcher PIV to Ben Sheets's 28,864.
David Price
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | David Price | Ben Sheets |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 157 | 94 |
| Losses not scored | 82 | 96 |
| Games | Leads: 400 | 250 |
| Games Started | Leads: 322 | 250 |
| Complete Games | 17 | Leads: 18 |
| Shutouts | 3 | Leads: 4 |
| Saves | Leads: 3 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,076 | 1,325 |
| Walks not scored | 562 | 369 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,930 | 1,577 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 221 | 184 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,143.2 | 1,596.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.32 | 3.78 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.16 | 1.22 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.72 | 7.47 |
| BB/9 | 2.36 | Leads: 2.08 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Price leads Ben Sheets 36,995 to 28,864 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: David Price played 16 seasons to Ben Sheets's 10, while Ben Sheets carries the higher per-season figure (2,886 to 2,312). 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)
Ben Sheets — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Price leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Ben Sheets owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Price. PIV agrees: David Price 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 Ben Sheets careers compare
The careers of David Price (2008–2022) and Ben Sheets (2001–2012) overlapped from 2008 to 2012, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: David Price appeared in 400 games to Ben Sheets's 250. The green cells for Ben Sheets are complete games (18 to 17), shutouts (4 to 3), and walks per nine (2.08 to 2.36). The per-nine rows read 8.72 strikeouts and 2.36 walks for David Price, 7.47 and 2.08 for Ben Sheets. David Price was mainly a starter (322 starts in 400 games), and Ben Sheets was mainly a starter (250 starts in 250 games).
David Price vs Ben Sheets: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, David Price or Ben Sheets?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Price leads Ben Sheets in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- David Price, with 3.32 to Ben Sheets's 3.78.
- Who won more games?
- David Price, with 157 to Ben Sheets's 94.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- David Price, with 2,076 to Ben Sheets's 1,325.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- David Price, with 1.16 to Ben Sheets's 1.22.