Madison Bumgarner vs Cole Hamels: Career Stats Comparison
Cole Hamels 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). Madison Bumgarner played 2009–2023 as a pitcher; Cole Hamels played 2006–2020 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
Madison Bumgarner (2009–2023) and Cole Hamels (2006–2020) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Madison Bumgarner finished with 134 wins and 2,070 strikeouts; Cole Hamels finished with 163 wins and 2,560 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Cole Hamels, with 3.43 to Madison Bumgarner's 3.47.
- Who won more games? Cole Hamels, with 163 to Madison Bumgarner's 134.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Cole Hamels, with 2,560 to Madison Bumgarner's 2,070.
- Who had the better WHIP? Madison Bumgarner, with 1.15 to Cole Hamels's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Cole Hamels, with 2,698.0 to Madison Bumgarner's 2,209.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 7.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cole Hamels, with 32,591 career Pitcher PIV to Madison Bumgarner's 26,439.
Madison Bumgarner
Cole Hamels
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.
| Statistic | Madison Bumgarner | Cole Hamels |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 134 | Leads: 163 |
| Losses not scored | 124 | 122 |
| Games | 358 | Leads: 423 |
| Games Started | 355 | Leads: 422 |
| Complete Games | 16 | Leads: 17 |
| Shutouts | 7 | 7 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,070 | Leads: 2,560 |
| Walks not scored | 544 | 767 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,007 | 2,424 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 258 | 310 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,209.1 | Leads: 2,698.0 |
| ERA | 3.47 | Leads: 3.43 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.15 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | 8.43 | Leads: 8.54 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.22 | 2.56 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cole Hamels leads Madison Bumgarner 32,591 to 26,439 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,917 PIV per season to 1,763, across 17 seasons to 15. 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).
Madison Bumgarner — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Cole Hamels — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Cole Hamels leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while Madison Bumgarner owns WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Cole Hamels. PIV agrees: Cole Hamels grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Madison Bumgarner and Cole Hamels careers compare
The careers of Madison Bumgarner (2009–2023) and Cole Hamels (2006–2020) overlapped from 2009 to 2020, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 358 games against 423 across 15 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Madison Bumgarner's edges on the table are WHIP (1.15 to 1.18) and walks per nine (2.22 to 2.56). The per-nine rows read 8.43 strikeouts and 2.22 walks for Madison Bumgarner, 8.54 and 2.56 for Cole Hamels. Madison Bumgarner was mainly a starter (355 starts in 358 games), and Cole Hamels was mainly a starter (422 starts in 423 games). In WHIP, Madison Bumgarner's 1.15 beats Cole Hamels's 1.18.
Madison Bumgarner vs Cole Hamels: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Madison Bumgarner or Cole Hamels?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cole Hamels leads Madison Bumgarner in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Cole Hamels, with 3.43 to Madison Bumgarner's 3.47.
- Who won more games?
- Cole Hamels, with 163 to Madison Bumgarner's 134.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Cole Hamels, with 2,560 to Madison Bumgarner's 2,070.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Madison Bumgarner, with 1.15 to Cole Hamels's 1.18.