Dan Quisenberry vs Bret Saberhagen: Career Stats Comparison
Bret Saberhagen 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). Dan Quisenberry played 1979–1990 as a pitcher; Bret Saberhagen played 1984–2001 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
Dan Quisenberry (1979–1990) and Bret Saberhagen (1984–2001) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Dan Quisenberry finished with 56 wins and 379 strikeouts; Bret Saberhagen finished with 167 wins and 1,715 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Dan Quisenberry, with 2.76 to Bret Saberhagen's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Bret Saberhagen, with 167 to Dan Quisenberry's 56.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bret Saberhagen, with 1,715 to Dan Quisenberry's 379.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bret Saberhagen, with 1.14 to Dan Quisenberry's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Bret Saberhagen, with 2,562.2 to Dan Quisenberry's 1,043.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bret Saberhagen, with 16 to Dan Quisenberry's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bret Saberhagen, with 53,065 career Pitcher PIV to Dan Quisenberry's 16,859.
Dan Quisenberry
Bret Saberhagen
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 1970s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dan Quisenberry | Bret Saberhagen |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 56 | Leads: 167 |
| Losses not scored | 46 | 117 |
| Games | Leads: 674 | 399 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 371 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 76 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 16 |
| Saves | Leads: 244 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | 379 | Leads: 1,715 |
| Walks not scored | 162 | 471 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,064 | 2,452 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 59 | 218 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,043.1 | Leads: 2,562.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.76 | 3.34 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 3.27 | Leads: 6.02 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.40 | 1.65 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bret Saberhagen outpaces Dan Quisenberry 53,065 to 16,859 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,122 PIV per season to 1,297, across 17 seasons to 13. 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).
Dan Quisenberry — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Bret Saberhagen — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bret Saberhagen leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Dan Quisenberry owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bret Saberhagen. PIV agrees: Bret Saberhagen grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Dan Quisenberry and Bret Saberhagen careers compare
From 1984 through 1990, Dan Quisenberry and Bret Saberhagen were in the majors together. Dan Quisenberry has the far longer record, 674 games against 399 across 13 and 17 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Dan Quisenberry's edges on the table are games (674 to 399), saves (244 to 1), and ERA (2.76 to 3.34). The per-nine rows read 3.27 strikeouts and 1.40 walks for Dan Quisenberry, 6.02 and 1.65 for Bret Saberhagen. Their roles differ: Dan Quisenberry worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 674 games, 244 saves); Bret Saberhagen was mainly a starter (371 starts in 399 games).
Dan Quisenberry vs Bret Saberhagen: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dan Quisenberry or Bret Saberhagen?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bret Saberhagen leads Dan Quisenberry in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Dan Quisenberry, with 2.76 to Bret Saberhagen's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Bret Saberhagen, with 167 to Dan Quisenberry's 56.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bret Saberhagen, with 1,715 to Dan Quisenberry's 379.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bret Saberhagen, with 1.14 to Dan Quisenberry's 1.18.