Johan Santana vs Stephen Strasburg: Career Stats Comparison
Johan Santana has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Stephen Strasburg played 2010–2022 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 Stephen Strasburg (2010–2022) — 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; Stephen Strasburg finished with 113 wins and 1,723 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 Stephen Strasburg's 3.24.
- Who won more games? Johan Santana, with 139 to Stephen Strasburg's 113.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Johan Santana, with 1,988 to Stephen Strasburg's 1,723.
- Who had the better WHIP? Stephen Strasburg, with 1.10 to Johan Santana's 1.13.
- Who pitched more innings? Johan Santana, with 2,025.2 to Stephen Strasburg's 1,470.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Johan Santana, with 10 to Stephen Strasburg's 2.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Johan Santana, with 48,732 career Pitcher PIV to Stephen Strasburg's 41,364.
Johan Santana
Stephen Strasburg
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.
| Statistic | Johan Santana | Stephen Strasburg |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 139 | 113 |
| Losses not scored | 78 | 62 |
| Games | Leads: 360 | 247 |
| Games Started | Leads: 284 | 247 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 15 | 2 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 10 | 2 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,988 | 1,723 |
| Walks not scored | 567 | 394 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,726 | 1,217 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 220 | 149 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,025.2 | 1,470.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.20 | 3.24 |
| WHIP | 1.13 | Leads: 1.10 |
| K/9 | 8.83 | Leads: 10.55 |
| BB/9 | 2.52 | Leads: 2.41 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johan Santana leads Stephen Strasburg 48,732 to 41,364 — driven by per-season impact — 4,061 PIV per season to 3,182 — rather than by longevity, since Johan Santana played 12 seasons to Stephen Strasburg's 13. 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)
Stephen Strasburg — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Johan Santana leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Stephen Strasburg owns 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 Stephen Strasburg careers compare
From 2010 through 2012, Johan Santana and Stephen Strasburg were in the majors together. With 360 games against 247 across 12 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Stephen Strasburg comes out ahead, it is in WHIP (1.10 to 1.13), strikeouts per nine (10.55 to 8.83), and walks per nine (2.41 to 2.52). By rate, Johan Santana struck out 8.83 and walked 2.52 per nine innings; Stephen Strasburg struck out 10.55 and walked 2.41. Johan Santana was mainly a starter (284 starts in 360 games), and Stephen Strasburg was mainly a starter (247 starts in 247 games). Stephen Strasburg allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.10 WHIP to Johan Santana's 1.13.
Johan Santana vs Stephen Strasburg: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Johan Santana or Stephen Strasburg?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Johan Santana leads Stephen Strasburg in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Johan Santana, with 3.20 to Stephen Strasburg's 3.24.
- Who won more games?
- Johan Santana, with 139 to Stephen Strasburg's 113.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Johan Santana, with 1,988 to Stephen Strasburg's 1,723.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Stephen Strasburg, with 1.10 to Johan Santana's 1.13.