Chris Sale vs Stephen Strasburg: Career Stats Comparison
Chris Sale has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Chris Sale has played 2010–present as a pitcher; Stephen Strasburg played 2010–2022 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 Stephen Strasburg (2010–2022) — both debuted in the 2010s. Chris Sale has 159 wins and 2,779 strikeouts through the 2026 season; Stephen Strasburg finished with 113 wins and 1,723 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Chris Sale, in 8 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Chris Sale, with 2.95 to Stephen Strasburg's 3.24.
- Who won more games? Chris Sale, with 159 to Stephen Strasburg's 113.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Chris Sale, with 2,779 to Stephen Strasburg's 1,723.
- Who had the better WHIP? Chris Sale, with 1.04 to Stephen Strasburg's 1.10.
- How many innings did each pitch? Chris Sale 2,246.2, Stephen Strasburg 1,470.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Chris Sale, with 4 to Stephen Strasburg's 2.
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. 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 | Chris Sale | Stephen Strasburg |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 159 | 113 |
| Losses not scored | 97 | 62 |
| Games not scored | 420 | 247 |
| Games Started not scored | 339 | 247 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 17 | 2 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 4 | 2 |
| Saves not scored | 12 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,779 | 1,723 |
| Walks not scored | 518 | 394 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,821 | 1,217 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 223 | 149 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,246.2 | 1,470.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.95 | 3.24 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.04 | 1.10 |
| K/9 | Leads: 11.13 | 10.55 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.08 | 2.41 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Chris Sale outpaces Stephen Strasburg 73,774 to 41,364 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,611 PIV per season to 3,182, across 16 seasons to 13. 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
Chris Sale leads 8 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Stephen Strasburg leads 0: no scored category. 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 Stephen Strasburg careers compare
Chris Sale and Stephen Strasburg were active at the same time between 2010 and 2022. The table compares 420 games of Chris Sale with 247 of Stephen Strasburg across 16 and 13 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Chris Sale leads every scored row of the table. The per-nine rows read 11.13 strikeouts and 2.08 walks for Chris Sale, 10.55 and 2.41 for Stephen Strasburg. Chris Sale was mainly a starter (339 starts in 420 games), and Stephen Strasburg was mainly a starter (247 starts in 247 games). Chris Sale allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.04 WHIP to Stephen Strasburg's 1.10. Chris Sale's totals run through the 2026 season.
Chris Sale vs Stephen Strasburg: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Chris Sale or Stephen Strasburg?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Chris Sale leads Stephen Strasburg in 8 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Chris Sale, with 2.95 to Stephen Strasburg's 3.24.
- Who won more games?
- Chris Sale, with 159 to Stephen Strasburg's 113.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Chris Sale, with 2,779 to Stephen Strasburg's 1,723.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Chris Sale, with 1.04 to Stephen Strasburg's 1.10.