Chris Sale's 5.48 pitching WAR beats Shohei Ohtani's 3.21 in 2026
Sale leads Ohtani by 2.27 pitching WAR, on nearly twice the innings (162.2 to 85.2). Ohtani has the better ERA and WHIP, so the gap comes from workload rather than rate stats. The comparison covers pitching only.
Published: · Figures as of October 3, 2026
Asked: Who's had the more valuable pitching season so far: Chris Sale or Shohei Ohtani?
Sale's pitching season is worth more: 5.48 WAR to 3.21
Chris Sale's 2026 pitching WAR is 5.48 and Shohei Ohtani's is 3.21, a gap of 2.27. Sale pitched 162.2 innings over 27 appearances; Ohtani pitched 85.2 over 14. Ohtani's pitching WAR is also separate from his 3.24 batting WAR, and the two are never added.
| 2026 regular season | Sale (ATL) | Ohtani (LAD) |
|---|---|---|
| Pitching WAR | 5.48 | 3.21 |
| Innings | 162.2 | 85.2 |
| Appearances | 27 | 14 |
| Innings per appearance | 6.02 | 6.12 |
| ERA | 2.16 | 1.79 |
| WHIP | 0.98 | 0.95 |
| Strikeouts per 9 | 11.07 | 9.98 |
| Walks per 9 | 1.72 | 2.73 |
| Home runs allowed | 10 | 4 |
The gap is volume, not rate. Their innings per appearance are close, 6.02 for Sale and 6.12 for Ohtani. Sale made almost twice as many appearances, so he piled up almost twice the innings.
Per inning, the two are close, and Ohtani is ahead on run prevention. His ERA is 1.79 against Sale's 2.16, and his WHIP is 0.95 against 0.98. Sale has the better strikeout and walk numbers: 11.07 strikeouts per 9 to 9.98, and 1.72 walks per 9 to 2.73. He also leads in total strikeouts, 200 to 95.
Ohtani missed 13 team games between September 8 and September 22 and was on the injured list from September 11 to September 23. That covers only the final stretch, and the data does not say how much it cost him on the mound. Sale has no absences and no injury listing. His last start was October 1, a 6-2 Braves win over Philadelphia.
If "valuable" means Ohtani's whole season, hitting and pitching together, that is a different question. His 135 games, 30 home runs and 3.24 batting WAR sit beside the 3.21 pitching figure and are not part of this comparison.
Confidence: High for pitching only, because Sale leads by 2.27 WAR on nearly twice the innings and Ohtani's better ERA does not close that. A two-way comparison would change the conclusion.