Chris Sale vs Tarik Skubal: Career Stats Comparison
Chris Sale 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). Chris Sale has played 2010–present as a pitcher; Tarik Skubal has played 2020–present 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
Chris Sale (2010–present) and Tarik Skubal (2020–present) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Chris Sale has 159 wins and 2,779 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Tarik Skubal has 66 wins and 1,075 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Chris Sale, with 2.95 to Tarik Skubal's 3.02.
- Who won more games? Chris Sale, with 159 to Tarik Skubal's 66.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Chris Sale, with 2,779 to Tarik Skubal's 1,075.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tarik Skubal, with 1.01 to Chris Sale's 1.04.
- Who pitched more innings? Chris Sale, with 2,246.2 to Tarik Skubal's 925.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Chris Sale, with 4 to Tarik Skubal's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Chris Sale, with 65,834 career Pitcher PIV to Tarik Skubal's 20,288.
Chris Sale
Tarik Skubal
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 2010s and the 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal are still active — their totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Chris Sale | Tarik Skubal |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 159 | 66 |
| Losses not scored | 97 | 44 |
| Games | Leads: 420 | 163 |
| Games Started | Leads: 339 | 160 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 17 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 4 | 1 |
| Saves | Leads: 12 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,779 | 1,075 |
| Walks not scored | 518 | 199 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,821 | 740 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 223 | 104 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,246.2 | 925.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.95 | 3.02 |
| WHIP | 1.04 | Leads: 1.01 |
| K/9 | Leads: 11.13 | 10.46 |
| BB/9 | 2.08 | Leads: 1.94 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Chris Sale outpaces Tarik Skubal 65,834 to 20,288 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,389 PIV per season to 3,381, across 15 seasons to 6. 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).
Chris Sale — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Tarik Skubal — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Chris Sale leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while Tarik Skubal owns WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Chris Sale. PIV agrees: Chris Sale grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal careers compare
The two careers overlap from 2020 on, with both players still active. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Chris Sale has appeared in 420 games to Tarik Skubal's 163. Where Tarik Skubal comes out ahead, it is in WHIP (1.01 to 1.04) and walks per nine (1.94 to 2.08). The per-nine rows read 11.13 strikeouts and 2.08 walks for Chris Sale, 10.46 and 1.94 for Tarik Skubal. Chris Sale was mainly a starter (339 starts in 420 games), and Tarik Skubal was mainly a starter (160 starts in 163 games). Tarik Skubal allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.01 WHIP to Chris Sale's 1.04. Chris Sale and Tarik Skubal's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Chris Sale vs Tarik Skubal: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Chris Sale or Tarik Skubal?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Chris Sale leads Tarik Skubal in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Chris Sale, with 2.95 to Tarik Skubal's 3.02.
- Who won more games?
- Chris Sale, with 159 to Tarik Skubal's 66.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Chris Sale, with 2,779 to Tarik Skubal's 1,075.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tarik Skubal, with 1.01 to Chris Sale's 1.04.