Bruce Sutter vs Todd Worrell: Career Stats Comparison
Bruce Sutter 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). Bruce Sutter played 1976–1988 as a pitcher; Todd Worrell played 1985–1997 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
Bruce Sutter (1976–1988) and Todd Worrell (1985–1997) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bruce Sutter finished with 68 wins and 861 strikeouts; Todd Worrell finished with 50 wins and 628 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Bruce Sutter, with 2.83 to Todd Worrell's 3.09.
- Who won more games? Bruce Sutter, with 68 to Todd Worrell's 50.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bruce Sutter, with 861 to Todd Worrell's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bruce Sutter, with 1.14 to Todd Worrell's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Bruce Sutter, with 1,042.0 to Todd Worrell's 693.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bruce Sutter, with 23,292 career Pitcher PIV to Todd Worrell's 12,459.
Bruce Sutter
Todd Worrell
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 1970s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bruce Sutter | Todd Worrell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 68 | 50 |
| Losses not scored | 71 | 52 |
| Games | Leads: 661 | 617 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 300 | 256 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 861 | 628 |
| Walks not scored | 309 | 247 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 879 | 608 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 77 | 65 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,042.0 | 693.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.83 | 3.09 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.23 |
| K/9 | 7.44 | Leads: 8.15 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.67 | 3.20 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bruce Sutter outpaces Todd Worrell 23,292 to 12,459 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,941 PIV per season to 1,133, across 12 seasons to 11. 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).
Bruce Sutter — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
Todd Worrell
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bruce Sutter leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Todd Worrell owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bruce Sutter. PIV agrees: Bruce Sutter grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bruce Sutter and Todd Worrell careers compare
Bruce Sutter and Todd Worrell were active at the same time between 1985 and 1988. With 661 games against 617 across 12 and 11 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Todd Worrell are strikeouts per nine (8.15 to 7.44). By rate, Bruce Sutter struck out 7.44 and walked 2.67 per nine innings; Todd Worrell struck out 8.15 and walked 3.20. Bruce Sutter worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 661 games, 300 saves), and Todd Worrell worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 617 games, 256 saves). In WHIP, Bruce Sutter's 1.14 beats Todd Worrell's 1.23.
Bruce Sutter vs Todd Worrell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bruce Sutter or Todd Worrell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bruce Sutter leads Todd Worrell in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bruce Sutter, with 2.83 to Todd Worrell's 3.09.
- Who won more games?
- Bruce Sutter, with 68 to Todd Worrell's 50.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bruce Sutter, with 861 to Todd Worrell's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bruce Sutter, with 1.14 to Todd Worrell's 1.23.