David Robertson vs CC Sabathia: Career Stats Comparison
CC Sabathia has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). David Robertson played 2008–2025 as a pitcher; CC Sabathia played 2001–2019 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 Robertson (2008–2025) and CC Sabathia (2001–2019) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. David Robertson finished with 68 wins and 1,176 strikeouts; CC Sabathia finished with 251 wins and 3,093 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? David Robertson, with 2.93 to CC Sabathia's 3.74.
- Who won more games? CC Sabathia, with 251 to David Robertson's 68.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? CC Sabathia, with 3,093 to David Robertson's 1,176.
- Who had the better WHIP? David Robertson, with 1.16 to CC Sabathia's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? CC Sabathia, with 3,577.1 to David Robertson's 894.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? CC Sabathia, with 12 to David Robertson's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? CC Sabathia, with 43,212 career Pitcher PIV to David Robertson's 25,283.
David Robertson
CC Sabathia
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 Robertson | CC Sabathia |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 68 | Leads: 251 |
| Losses not scored | 46 | 161 |
| Games | Leads: 881 | 561 |
| Games Started | 1 | Leads: 560 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 38 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 12 |
| Saves | Leads: 179 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,176 | Leads: 3,093 |
| Walks not scored | 365 | 1,099 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 674 | 3,404 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 81 | 382 |
| Innings Pitched | 894.1 | Leads: 3,577.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.93 | 3.74 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.16 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | Leads: 11.83 | 7.78 |
| BB/9 | 3.67 | Leads: 2.76 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), CC Sabathia outpaces David Robertson 43,212 to 25,283 — driven by per-season impact — 2,161 PIV per season to 1,264 — rather than by longevity, since CC Sabathia played 20 seasons to David Robertson's 20. 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 Robertson
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
CC Sabathia — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, CC Sabathia leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while David Robertson owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to CC Sabathia. PIV agrees: CC Sabathia grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the David Robertson and CC Sabathia careers compare
The careers of David Robertson (2008–2025) and CC Sabathia (2001–2019) overlapped from 2008 to 2019, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 881 games of David Robertson with 561 of CC Sabathia across 20 and 20 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. By rate, David Robertson struck out 11.83 and walked 3.67 per nine innings; CC Sabathia struck out 7.78 and walked 2.76. David Robertson worked mostly in relief (1 starts in 881 games, 179 saves), while CC Sabathia was mainly a starter (560 starts in 561 games). David Robertson allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.16 WHIP to CC Sabathia's 1.26.
David Robertson vs CC Sabathia: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, David Robertson or CC Sabathia?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, CC Sabathia leads David Robertson in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- David Robertson, with 2.93 to CC Sabathia's 3.74.
- Who won more games?
- CC Sabathia, with 251 to David Robertson's 68.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- CC Sabathia, with 3,093 to David Robertson's 1,176.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- David Robertson, with 1.16 to CC Sabathia's 1.26.