Chris Sale vs Stephen Strasburg: Career Stats Comparison
Chris Sale (2010–present) and Stephen Strasburg (2010–2022) — both came up during the 2010s, so the matchup is a direct one. Chris Sale compiled 145 wins and 2,579 strikeouts; Stephen Strasburg put up 113 wins and 1,723 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Chris Sale
Stephen Strasburg
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Chris Sale | Stephen Strasburg |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 145 | 113 |
| Losses | 88 | 62 |
| Games | 393 | 247 |
| Games Started | 312 | 247 |
| Complete Games | 16 | 2 |
| Shutouts | 3 | 2 |
| Saves | 12 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,579 | 1,723 |
| Walks | 487 | 394 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,692 | 1,217 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 213 | 149 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,084 | 1,470 |
| ERA | 3.01 | 3.24 |
| WHIP | 1.05 | 1.10 |
| K/9 | 11.14 | 10.55 |
| BB/9 | 2.10 | 2.41 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Chris Sale outpaces Stephen Strasburg 65,834 to 41,364 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,389 vs 3,182 per year). 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).
Chris Sale — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Stephen Strasburg — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Chris Sale leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Stephen Strasburg owns no headline categories. 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.