Jake Arrieta vs Gerrit Cole: Career Stats Comparison
Gerrit Cole 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). Jake Arrieta played 2010–2021 as a pitcher; Gerrit Cole has played 2013–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
Jake Arrieta (2010–2021) and Gerrit Cole (2013–present) — both came up during the 2010s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jake Arrieta finished with 115 wins and 1,433 strikeouts; Gerrit Cole has 163 wins and 2,382 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Gerrit Cole, with 3.20 to Jake Arrieta's 3.98.
- Who won more games? Gerrit Cole, with 163 to Jake Arrieta's 115.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Gerrit Cole, with 2,382 to Jake Arrieta's 1,433.
- Who had the better WHIP? Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Jake Arrieta's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Gerrit Cole, with 2,081.0 to Jake Arrieta's 1,612.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Gerrit Cole, with 50,909 career Pitcher PIV to Jake Arrieta's 5,475.
Jake Arrieta
Gerrit Cole
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Gerrit Cole is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Jake Arrieta | Gerrit Cole |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 115 | Leads: 163 |
| Losses not scored | 93 | 89 |
| Games | 285 | Leads: 339 |
| Games Started | 279 | Leads: 339 |
| Complete Games | 6 | Leads: 8 |
| Shutouts | 5 | 5 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,433 | Leads: 2,382 |
| Walks not scored | 571 | 525 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,450 | 1,742 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 181 | 239 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,612.1 | Leads: 2,081.0 |
| ERA | 3.98 | Leads: 3.20 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | Leads: 1.09 |
| K/9 | 8.00 | Leads: 10.30 |
| BB/9 | 3.19 | Leads: 2.27 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gerrit Cole outpaces Jake Arrieta 50,909 to 5,475 — driven by per-season impact — 4,242 PIV per season to 391 — rather than by longevity, since Gerrit Cole played 12 seasons to Jake Arrieta's 14. 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).
Jake Arrieta — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Gerrit Cole — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Gerrit Cole leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Jake Arrieta owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Gerrit Cole. PIV agrees: Gerrit Cole grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jake Arrieta and Gerrit Cole careers compare
The careers of Jake Arrieta (2010–2021) and Gerrit Cole (2013–present) overlapped from 2013 to 2021, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 285 games against 339 across 14 and 12 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Gerrit Cole leads every scored row of the table. The per-nine rows read 8.00 strikeouts and 3.19 walks for Jake Arrieta, 10.30 and 2.27 for Gerrit Cole. Both had the same role: Jake Arrieta was mainly a starter (279 starts in 285 games); Gerrit Cole was mainly a starter (339 starts in 339 games). Gerrit Cole allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.09 WHIP to Jake Arrieta's 1.25. Because Gerrit Cole is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Jake Arrieta vs Gerrit Cole: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jake Arrieta or Gerrit Cole?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gerrit Cole leads Jake Arrieta in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Gerrit Cole, with 3.20 to Jake Arrieta's 3.98.
- Who won more games?
- Gerrit Cole, with 163 to Jake Arrieta's 115.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Gerrit Cole, with 2,382 to Jake Arrieta's 1,433.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Jake Arrieta's 1.25.