Bret Saberhagen vs Jason Schmidt: Career Stats Comparison
Bret Saberhagen has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Bret Saberhagen played 1984–2001 as a pitcher; Jason Schmidt played 1995–2009 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
Bret Saberhagen (1984–2001) and Jason Schmidt (1995–2009) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bret Saberhagen finished with 167 wins and 1,715 strikeouts; Jason Schmidt finished with 130 wins and 1,758 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Bret Saberhagen, with 3.34 to Jason Schmidt's 3.96.
- Who won more games? Bret Saberhagen, with 167 to Jason Schmidt's 130.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jason Schmidt, with 1,758 to Bret Saberhagen's 1,715.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bret Saberhagen, with 1.14 to Jason Schmidt's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Bret Saberhagen, with 2,562.2 to Jason Schmidt's 1,996.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bret Saberhagen, with 16 to Jason Schmidt's 9.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bret Saberhagen, with 53,065 career Pitcher PIV to Jason Schmidt's 34,873.
Bret Saberhagen
Jason Schmidt
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 1980s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bret Saberhagen | Jason Schmidt |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 167 | 130 |
| Losses not scored | 117 | 96 |
| Games | Leads: 399 | 323 |
| Games Started | Leads: 371 | 314 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 76 | 20 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 16 | 9 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,715 | Leads: 1,758 |
| Walks not scored | 471 | 792 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,452 | 1,846 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 218 | 184 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,562.2 | 1,996.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.34 | 3.96 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | 6.02 | Leads: 7.93 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.65 | 3.57 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bret Saberhagen outpaces Jason Schmidt 53,065 to 34,873 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,122 PIV per season to 2,180, across 17 seasons to 16. 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).
Bret Saberhagen — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Jason Schmidt — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bret Saberhagen leads in wins, ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Jason Schmidt owns strikeouts and K/9. 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 Bret Saberhagen and Jason Schmidt careers compare
The careers of Bret Saberhagen (1984–2001) and Jason Schmidt (1995–2009) overlapped from 1995 to 2001, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 399 games for Bret Saberhagen and 323 for Jason Schmidt across 17 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Jason Schmidt's edges on the table are strikeouts (1,758 to 1,715) and strikeouts per nine (7.93 to 6.02). The per-nine rows read 6.02 strikeouts and 1.65 walks for Bret Saberhagen, 7.93 and 3.57 for Jason Schmidt. Bret Saberhagen was mainly a starter (371 starts in 399 games), and Jason Schmidt was mainly a starter (314 starts in 323 games).
Bret Saberhagen vs Jason Schmidt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bret Saberhagen or Jason Schmidt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bret Saberhagen leads Jason Schmidt in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bret Saberhagen, with 3.34 to Jason Schmidt's 3.96.
- Who won more games?
- Bret Saberhagen, with 167 to Jason Schmidt's 130.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jason Schmidt, with 1,758 to Bret Saberhagen's 1,715.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bret Saberhagen, with 1.14 to Jason Schmidt's 1.32.