CC Sabathia vs Johan Santana: Career Stats Comparison
CC Sabathia and Johan Santana are close to even, splitting the 8 scored categories on this page 4–4 (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). CC Sabathia played 2001–2019 as a pitcher; Johan Santana played 2000–2012 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
CC Sabathia (2001–2019) and Johan Santana (2000–2012) — both debuted in the 2000s. CC Sabathia finished with 251 wins and 3,093 strikeouts; Johan Santana finished with 139 wins and 1,988 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Neither — they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA? Johan Santana, with 3.20 to CC Sabathia's 3.74.
- Who won more games? CC Sabathia, with 251 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? CC Sabathia, with 3,093 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP? Johan Santana, with 1.13 to CC Sabathia's 1.26.
- How many innings did each pitch? CC Sabathia 3,577.1, Johan Santana 2,025.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? CC Sabathia, with 12 to Johan Santana's 10.
CC Sabathia
Johan Santana
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | CC Sabathia | Johan Santana |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 251 | 139 |
| Losses not scored | 161 | 78 |
| Games not scored | 561 | 360 |
| Games Started not scored | 560 | 284 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 38 | 15 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 12 | 10 |
| Saves not scored | 0 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,093 | 1,988 |
| Walks not scored | 1,099 | 567 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,404 | 1,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 382 | 220 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,577.1 | 2,025.2 |
| ERA | 3.74 | Leads: 3.20 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 7.78 | Leads: 8.83 |
| BB/9 | 2.76 | Leads: 2.52 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johan Santana leads CC Sabathia 48,732 to 43,212 — driven by per-season impact — 4,061 PIV per season to 2,274 — rather than by longevity, since Johan Santana played 12 seasons to CC Sabathia's 19. 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).
CC Sabathia — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Johan Santana — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
CC Sabathia and Johan Santana split the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card 4-4. On the raw scoreboard neither has the edge. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Johan Santana higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the CC Sabathia and Johan Santana careers compare
From 2001 through 2012, CC Sabathia and Johan Santana were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: CC Sabathia appeared in 561 games to Johan Santana's 360. Where Johan Santana comes out ahead, it is in ERA (3.20 to 3.74), WHIP (1.13 to 1.26), and strikeouts per nine (8.83 to 7.78). The per-nine rows read 7.78 strikeouts and 2.76 walks for CC Sabathia, 8.83 and 2.52 for Johan Santana. CC Sabathia was mainly a starter (560 starts in 561 games), and Johan Santana was mainly a starter (284 starts in 360 games). Johan Santana allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.13 WHIP to CC Sabathia's 1.26.
CC Sabathia vs Johan Santana: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, CC Sabathia or Johan Santana?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, neither leads: they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Johan Santana, with 3.20 to CC Sabathia's 3.74.
- Who won more games?
- CC Sabathia, with 251 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- CC Sabathia, with 3,093 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Johan Santana, with 1.13 to CC Sabathia's 1.26.