Chris Sale vs Justin Verlander: Career Stats Comparison
Chris Sale and Justin Verlander are close to even, splitting the 8 scored categories on this page 4–4 (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Chris Sale has played 2010–present as a pitcher; Justin Verlander has played 2005–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 Justin Verlander (2005–present) — they debuted in the 2010s and the 2000s respectively and share 7990 seasons. Chris Sale has 159 wins and 2,779 strikeouts through the 2026 season; Justin Verlander has 266 wins and 3,560 strikeouts through the 2026 season. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Neither — they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA? Chris Sale, with 2.95 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games? Justin Verlander, with 266 to Chris Sale's 159.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Chris Sale's 2,779.
- Who had the better WHIP? Chris Sale, with 1.04 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.
- How many innings did each pitch? Chris Sale 2,246.2, Justin Verlander 3,576.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Justin Verlander, with 9 to Chris Sale's 4.
Chris Sale
Justin Verlander
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 | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 159 | Leads: 266 |
| Losses not scored | 97 | 159 |
| Games not scored | 420 | 557 |
| Games Started not scored | 339 | 557 |
| Complete Games | 17 | Leads: 26 |
| Shutouts | 4 | Leads: 9 |
| Saves not scored | 12 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,779 | Leads: 3,560 |
| Walks not scored | 518 | 1,007 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,821 | 3,057 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 223 | 374 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,246.2 | 3,576.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.95 | 3.33 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.04 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 11.13 | 8.96 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.08 | 2.53 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Chris Sale edges Justin Verlander 73,774 to 68,171 — driven by per-season impact — 4,611 PIV per season to 3,246 — rather than by longevity, since Chris Sale played 16 seasons to Justin Verlander's 21. 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)
Justin Verlander — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Chris Sale and Justin Verlander split the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card 4-4. On the raw scoreboard neither has the edge. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Chris Sale higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Chris Sale and Justin Verlander careers compare
The two careers overlap from 2010 on, with both players still active. The two careers are close in length, 420 games for Chris Sale and 557 for Justin Verlander across 16 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Justin Verlander comes out ahead, it is in wins (266 to 159), complete games (26 to 17), and shutouts (9 to 4). By rate, Chris Sale struck out 11.13 and walked 2.08 per nine innings; Justin Verlander struck out 8.96 and walked 2.53. Chris Sale was mainly a starter (339 starts in 420 games), and Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games). Chris Sale and Justin Verlander's totals run through the 2026 season.
Chris Sale vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Chris Sale or Justin Verlander?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, neither leads: they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Chris Sale, with 2.95 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- Justin Verlander, with 266 to Chris Sale's 159.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Chris Sale's 2,779.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Chris Sale, with 1.04 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.