Chris Sale vs Don Sutton: Career Stats Comparison
Don Sutton 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). Chris Sale has played 2010–present as a pitcher; Don Sutton played 1966–1988 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 Don Sutton (1966–1988) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Chris Sale has 159 wins and 2,779 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Don Sutton finished with 324 wins and 3,574 strikeouts. 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 Don Sutton's 3.26.
- Who won more games? Don Sutton, with 324 to Chris Sale's 159.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Chris Sale's 2,779.
- Who had the better WHIP? Chris Sale, with 1.04 to Don Sutton's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Don Sutton, with 5,282.1 to Chris Sale's 2,246.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Don Sutton, with 58 to Chris Sale's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Chris Sale, with 65,834 career Pitcher PIV to Don Sutton's 63,310.
Chris Sale
Don Sutton
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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Chris Sale is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Chris Sale | Don Sutton |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 159 | Leads: 324 |
| Losses not scored | 97 | 256 |
| Games | 420 | Leads: 774 |
| Games Started | 339 | Leads: 756 |
| Complete Games | 17 | Leads: 178 |
| Shutouts | 4 | Leads: 58 |
| Saves | Leads: 12 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 2,779 | Leads: 3,574 |
| Walks not scored | 518 | 1,343 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,821 | 4,692 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 223 | 472 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,246.2 | Leads: 5,282.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.95 | 3.26 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.04 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 11.13 | 6.09 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.08 | 2.29 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Chris Sale edges Don Sutton 65,834 to 63,310 — driven by per-season impact — 4,389 PIV per season to 2,532 — rather than by longevity, since Chris Sale played 15 seasons to Don Sutton's 25. 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)
Don Sutton — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Chris Sale leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Don Sutton owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. 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 Don Sutton careers compare
Don Sutton (1966–1988) was finished before Chris Sale (2010–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. Don Sutton has the far longer record, 774 games against 420 across 15 and 25 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The per-nine rows read 11.13 strikeouts and 2.08 walks for Chris Sale, 6.09 and 2.29 for Don Sutton. Chris Sale was mainly a starter (339 starts in 420 games), and Don Sutton was mainly a starter (756 starts in 774 games). The complete-game row, 17 against 178, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. In WHIP, Chris Sale's 1.04 beats Don Sutton's 1.14. Because Chris Sale is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Chris Sale vs Don Sutton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Chris Sale or Don Sutton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Don Sutton leads Chris Sale in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Chris Sale, with 2.95 to Don Sutton's 3.26.
- Who won more games?
- Don Sutton, with 324 to Chris Sale's 159.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Chris Sale's 2,779.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Chris Sale, with 1.04 to Don Sutton's 1.14.