CC Sabathia vs David Wells: 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). CC Sabathia played 2001–2019 as a pitcher; David Wells played 1987–2007 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 David Wells (1987–2007) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. CC Sabathia finished with 251 wins and 3,093 strikeouts; David Wells finished with 239 wins and 2,201 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? CC Sabathia, with 3.74 to David Wells's 4.13.
- Who won more games? CC Sabathia, with 251 to David Wells's 239.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? CC Sabathia, with 3,093 to David Wells's 2,201.
- Who had the better WHIP? CC Sabathia, with 1.26 to David Wells's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? CC Sabathia, with 3,577.1 to David Wells's 3,439.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 12.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? CC Sabathia, with 43,212 career Pitcher PIV to David Wells's 31,301.
CC Sabathia
David Wells
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 2000s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | CC Sabathia | David Wells |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 251 | 239 |
| Losses not scored | 161 | 157 |
| Games | 561 | Leads: 660 |
| Games Started | Leads: 560 | 489 |
| Complete Games | 38 | Leads: 54 |
| Shutouts | 12 | 12 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 13 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,093 | 2,201 |
| Walks not scored | 1,099 | 719 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,404 | 3,635 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 382 | 407 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,577.1 | 3,439.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.74 | 4.13 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.26 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.78 | 5.76 |
| BB/9 | 2.76 | Leads: 1.88 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), CC Sabathia outpaces David Wells 43,212 to 31,301 — driven by per-season impact — 2,161 PIV per season to 1,304 — rather than by longevity, since CC Sabathia played 20 seasons to David Wells's 24. 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).
CC Sabathia — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
David Wells — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, CC Sabathia leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while David Wells owns no headline categories. 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 CC Sabathia and David Wells careers compare
The careers of CC Sabathia (2001–2019) and David Wells (1987–2007) overlapped from 2001 to 2007, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 561 games against 660 across 20 and 24 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for David Wells are games (660 to 561), complete games (54 to 38), and saves (13 to 0). By rate, CC Sabathia struck out 7.78 and walked 2.76 per nine innings; David Wells struck out 5.76 and walked 1.88. CC Sabathia was mainly a starter (560 starts in 561 games), and David Wells was mainly a starter (489 starts in 660 games).
CC Sabathia vs David Wells: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, CC Sabathia or David Wells?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, CC Sabathia leads David Wells in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- CC Sabathia, with 3.74 to David Wells's 4.13.
- Who won more games?
- CC Sabathia, with 251 to David Wells's 239.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- CC Sabathia, with 3,093 to David Wells's 2,201.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- CC Sabathia, with 1.26 to David Wells's 1.27.