Johan Santana vs Paul Skenes: Career Stats Comparison
Johan Santana has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Paul Skenes has played 2024–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
Johan Santana (2000–2012) and Paul Skenes (2024–present) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Johan Santana finished with 139 wins and 1,988 strikeouts; Paul Skenes has 31 wins and 586 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Johan Santana's 3.20.
- Who won more games? Johan Santana, with 139 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Johan Santana, with 1,988 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP? Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Johan Santana's 1.13.
- Who pitched more innings? Johan Santana, with 2,025.2 to Paul Skenes's 495.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Johan Santana, with 10 to Paul Skenes's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Johan Santana, with 48,732 career Pitcher PIV to Paul Skenes's 14,331.
Johan Santana
Paul Skenes
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 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Paul Skenes is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Johan Santana | Paul Skenes |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 139 | 31 |
| Losses not scored | 78 | 24 |
| Games | Leads: 360 | 87 |
| Games Started | Leads: 284 | 87 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 15 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 10 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,988 | 586 |
| Walks not scored | 567 | 123 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,726 | 376 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 220 | 41 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,025.2 | 495.0 |
| ERA | 3.20 | Leads: 2.62 |
| WHIP | 1.13 | Leads: 1.01 |
| K/9 | 8.83 | Leads: 10.65 |
| BB/9 | 2.52 | Leads: 2.24 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johan Santana outpaces Paul Skenes 48,732 to 14,331 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Johan Santana played 12 seasons to Paul Skenes's 2, while Paul Skenes carries the higher per-season figure (7,166 to 4,061). 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)
Paul Skenes — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Johan Santana leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Paul Skenes owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. 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 Paul Skenes careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Johan Santana's ended in 2012, and Paul Skenes debuted in 2024. The table compares 360 games of Johan Santana with 87 of Paul Skenes across 12 and 2 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Paul Skenes's edges on the table are ERA (2.62 to 3.20), WHIP (1.01 to 1.13), and strikeouts per nine (10.65 to 8.83). The per-nine rows read 8.83 strikeouts and 2.52 walks for Johan Santana, 10.65 and 2.24 for Paul Skenes. Johan Santana was mainly a starter (284 starts in 360 games), and Paul Skenes was mainly a starter (87 starts in 87 games). Because Paul Skenes is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Johan Santana vs Paul Skenes: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Johan Santana or Paul Skenes?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Johan Santana leads Paul Skenes in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Johan Santana's 3.20.
- Who won more games?
- Johan Santana, with 139 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Johan Santana, with 1,988 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Johan Santana's 1.13.