Johan Santana vs Blake Snell: 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; Blake Snell has played 2016–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 Blake Snell (2016–present) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Johan Santana finished with 139 wins and 1,988 strikeouts; Blake Snell has 85 wins and 1,495 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Blake Snell, with 3.10 to Johan Santana's 3.20.
- Who won more games? Johan Santana, with 139 to Blake Snell's 85.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Johan Santana, with 1,988 to Blake Snell's 1,495.
- Who had the better WHIP? Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Blake Snell's 1.22.
- Who pitched more innings? Johan Santana, with 2,025.2 to Blake Snell's 1,200.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Johan Santana, with 10 to Blake Snell's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Johan Santana, with 48,732 career Pitcher PIV to Blake Snell's 27,494.
Johan Santana
Blake Snell
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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Blake Snell is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Johan Santana | Blake Snell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 139 | 85 |
| Losses not scored | 78 | 63 |
| Games | Leads: 360 | 231 |
| Games Started | Leads: 284 | 231 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 15 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 10 | 1 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,988 | 1,495 |
| Walks not scored | 567 | 537 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,726 | 922 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 220 | 111 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,025.2 | 1,200.2 |
| ERA | 3.20 | Leads: 3.10 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.13 | 1.22 |
| K/9 | 8.83 | Leads: 11.21 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.52 | 4.03 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johan Santana outpaces Blake Snell 48,732 to 27,494 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,061 PIV per season to 2,749, across 12 seasons to 10. 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)
Blake Snell — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Johan Santana leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Blake Snell owns ERA 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 Blake Snell careers compare
Johan Santana (2000–2012) was finished before Blake Snell (2016–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. Johan Santana has the far longer record, 360 games against 231 across 12 and 10 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Blake Snell's edges on the table are ERA (3.10 to 3.20) and strikeouts per nine (11.21 to 8.83). The per-nine rows read 8.83 strikeouts and 2.52 walks for Johan Santana, 11.21 and 4.03 for Blake Snell. Both had the same role: Johan Santana was mainly a starter (284 starts in 360 games); Blake Snell was mainly a starter (231 starts in 231 games). In WHIP, Johan Santana's 1.13 beats Blake Snell's 1.22. Because Blake Snell is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Johan Santana vs Blake Snell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Johan Santana or Blake Snell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Johan Santana leads Blake Snell in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Blake Snell, with 3.10 to Johan Santana's 3.20.
- Who won more games?
- Johan Santana, with 139 to Blake Snell's 85.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Johan Santana, with 1,988 to Blake Snell's 1,495.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Blake Snell's 1.22.