Jeff Reardon vs Bruce Sutter: Career Stats Comparison
Jeff Reardon has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jeff Reardon played 1979–1994 as a pitcher; Bruce Sutter played 1976–1988 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
Jeff Reardon (1979–1994) and Bruce Sutter (1976–1988) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jeff Reardon finished with 73 wins and 877 strikeouts; Bruce Sutter finished with 68 wins and 861 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Bruce Sutter, with 2.83 to Jeff Reardon's 3.16.
- Who won more games? Jeff Reardon, with 73 to Bruce Sutter's 68.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jeff Reardon, with 877 to Bruce Sutter's 861.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bruce Sutter, with 1.14 to Jeff Reardon's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Jeff Reardon, with 1,132.1 to Bruce Sutter's 1,042.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bruce Sutter, with 23,292 career Pitcher PIV to Jeff Reardon's 11,952.
Jeff Reardon
Bruce Sutter
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 | Jeff Reardon | Bruce Sutter |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 73 | 68 |
| Losses not scored | 77 | 71 |
| Games | Leads: 880 | 661 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 367 | 300 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 877 | 861 |
| Walks not scored | 358 | 309 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,000 | 879 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 109 | 77 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,132.1 | 1,042.0 |
| ERA | 3.16 | Leads: 2.83 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 6.97 | Leads: 7.44 |
| BB/9 | 2.85 | Leads: 2.67 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bruce Sutter outpaces Jeff Reardon 23,292 to 11,952 — driven by per-season impact — 1,941 PIV per season to 664 — rather than by longevity, since Bruce Sutter played 12 seasons to Jeff Reardon's 18. 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).
Jeff Reardon
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Bruce Sutter — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bruce Sutter leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Jeff Reardon owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bruce Sutter. PIV agrees: Bruce Sutter grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jeff Reardon and Bruce Sutter careers compare
The careers of Jeff Reardon (1979–1994) and Bruce Sutter (1976–1988) overlapped from 1979 to 1988, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 880 games for Jeff Reardon and 661 for Bruce Sutter across 18 and 12 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Bruce Sutter are ERA (2.83 to 3.16), WHIP (1.14 to 1.20), and strikeouts per nine (7.44 to 6.97). The per-nine rows read 6.97 strikeouts and 2.85 walks for Jeff Reardon, 7.44 and 2.67 for Bruce Sutter.
Jeff Reardon vs Bruce Sutter: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jeff Reardon or Bruce Sutter?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jeff Reardon leads Bruce Sutter in 5 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bruce Sutter, with 2.83 to Jeff Reardon's 3.16.
- Who won more games?
- Jeff Reardon, with 73 to Bruce Sutter's 68.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jeff Reardon, with 877 to Bruce Sutter's 861.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bruce Sutter, with 1.14 to Jeff Reardon's 1.20.