Johan Santana vs Jason Schmidt: Career Stats Comparison
Johan Santana 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). Johan Santana played 2000–2012 as a pitcher; Jason Schmidt played 1995–2009 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
Johan Santana (2000–2012) and Jason Schmidt (1995–2009) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Johan Santana finished with 139 wins and 1,988 strikeouts; Jason Schmidt finished with 130 wins and 1,758 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Johan Santana, with 3.20 to Jason Schmidt's 3.96.
- Who won more games? Johan Santana, with 139 to Jason Schmidt's 130.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Johan Santana, with 1,988 to Jason Schmidt's 1,758.
- Who had the better WHIP? Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Jason Schmidt's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Johan Santana, with 2,025.2 to Jason Schmidt's 1,996.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Johan Santana, with 10 to Jason Schmidt's 9.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Johan Santana, with 48,732 career Pitcher PIV to Jason Schmidt's 34,873.
Johan Santana
Jason Schmidt
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 2000s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Johan Santana | Jason Schmidt |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 139 | 130 |
| Losses not scored | 78 | 96 |
| Games | Leads: 360 | 323 |
| Games Started | 284 | Leads: 314 |
| Complete Games | 15 | Leads: 20 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 10 | 9 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,988 | 1,758 |
| Walks not scored | 567 | 792 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,726 | 1,846 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 220 | 184 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,025.2 | 1,996.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.20 | 3.96 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.13 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.83 | 7.93 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.52 | 3.57 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johan Santana outpaces Jason Schmidt 48,732 to 34,873 — driven by per-season impact — 4,061 PIV per season to 2,180 — rather than by longevity, since Johan Santana played 12 seasons to Jason Schmidt's 16. 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).
Johan Santana — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Jason Schmidt — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Johan Santana leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Jason Schmidt owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Johan Santana. PIV agrees: Johan Santana grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Johan Santana and Jason Schmidt careers compare
Johan Santana and Jason Schmidt were active at the same time between 2000 and 2009. The two careers are close in length, 360 games for Johan Santana and 323 for Jason Schmidt across 12 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Jason Schmidt are starts (314 to 284) and complete games (20 to 15). The per-nine rows read 8.83 strikeouts and 2.52 walks for Johan Santana, 7.93 and 3.57 for Jason Schmidt. Johan Santana was mainly a starter (284 starts in 360 games), and Jason Schmidt was mainly a starter (314 starts in 323 games).
Johan Santana vs Jason Schmidt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Johan Santana or Jason Schmidt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Johan Santana leads Jason Schmidt in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Johan Santana, with 3.20 to Jason Schmidt's 3.96.
- Who won more games?
- Johan Santana, with 139 to Jason Schmidt's 130.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Johan Santana, with 1,988 to Jason Schmidt's 1,758.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Jason Schmidt's 1.32.