David Price vs Stephen Strasburg: Career Stats Comparison
David Price has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 statistical categories compared on this page. David Price played 2008–2022 as a pitcher; Stephen Strasburg played 2010–2022 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 Stephen Strasburg (2010–2022) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. David Price compiled 157 wins and 2,076 strikeouts; Stephen Strasburg put up 113 wins and 1,723 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Stephen Strasburg, with 3.24 to David Price's 3.32.
- Who won more games? David Price, with 157 to Stephen Strasburg's 113.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? David Price, with 2,076 to Stephen Strasburg's 1,723.
- Who had the better WHIP? Stephen Strasburg, with 1.10 to David Price's 1.16.
- Who pitched more innings? David Price, with 2,143 to Stephen Strasburg's 1,470.
- Who threw more shutouts? David Price, with 3 to Stephen Strasburg's 2.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Stephen Strasburg, with 41,364 career Pitcher PIV to David Price's 36,995.
David Price
Stephen Strasburg
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. 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: compare them with the era in mind, or use the PIV card below, which is.
| Statistic | David Price | Stephen Strasburg |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 157 | 113 |
| Losses | 82 | 62 |
| Games | Leads: 400 | 247 |
| Games Started | Leads: 322 | 247 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 17 | 2 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 3 | 2 |
| Saves | Leads: 3 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,076 | 1,723 |
| Walks | 562 | 394 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,930 | 1,217 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 221 | 149 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,143 | 1,470 |
| ERA | 3.32 | Leads: 3.24 |
| WHIP | 1.16 | Leads: 1.10 |
| K/9 | 8.72 | Leads: 10.55 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.36 | 2.41 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Stephen Strasburg leads David Price 41,364 to 36,995 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,182 vs 2,312 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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)
Stephen Strasburg — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Stephen Strasburg 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 Stephen Strasburg. PIV agrees: Stephen Strasburg grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
David Price vs Stephen Strasburg: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, David Price or Stephen Strasburg?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Price leads Stephen Strasburg in 9 of 12 categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Stephen Strasburg, with 3.24 to David Price's 3.32.
- Who won more games?
- David Price, with 157 to Stephen Strasburg's 113.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- David Price, with 2,076 to Stephen Strasburg's 1,723.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Stephen Strasburg, with 1.10 to David Price's 1.16.