Matt Cain vs Gerrit Cole: Career Stats Comparison
Gerrit Cole has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Matt Cain played 2005–2017 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
Matt Cain (2005–2017) and Gerrit Cole (2013–present) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Matt Cain finished with 104 wins and 1,694 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 Matt Cain's 3.68.
- Who won more games? Gerrit Cole, with 163 to Matt Cain's 104.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Gerrit Cole, with 2,382 to Matt Cain's 1,694.
- Who had the better WHIP? Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Matt Cain's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Matt Cain, with 2,085.2 to Gerrit Cole's 2,081.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Matt Cain, with 6 to Gerrit Cole's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Gerrit Cole, with 50,909 career Pitcher PIV to Matt Cain's 14,596.
Matt Cain
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, 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.
Gerrit Cole is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Matt Cain | Gerrit Cole |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 104 | Leads: 163 |
| Losses not scored | 118 | 89 |
| Games | Leads: 342 | 339 |
| Games Started | 331 | Leads: 339 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 15 | 8 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 6 | 5 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,694 | Leads: 2,382 |
| Walks not scored | 712 | 525 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,849 | 1,742 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 211 | 239 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,085.2 | 2,081.0 |
| ERA | 3.68 | Leads: 3.20 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 1.09 |
| K/9 | 7.31 | Leads: 10.30 |
| BB/9 | 3.07 | Leads: 2.27 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gerrit Cole outpaces Matt Cain 50,909 to 14,596 — driven by per-season impact — 4,242 PIV per season to 1,123 — rather than by longevity, since Gerrit Cole played 12 seasons to Matt Cain'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).
Matt Cain — 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 Matt Cain owns innings pitched. 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 Matt Cain and Gerrit Cole careers compare
The careers of Matt Cain (2005–2017) and Gerrit Cole (2013–present) overlapped from 2013 to 2017, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 342 games against 339 across 13 and 12 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Matt Cain are games (342 to 339), complete games (15 to 8), and shutouts (6 to 5). The per-nine rows read 7.31 strikeouts and 3.07 walks for Matt Cain, 10.30 and 2.27 for Gerrit Cole. Matt Cain was mainly a starter (331 starts in 342 games), and Gerrit Cole was mainly a starter (339 starts in 339 games). In WHIP, Gerrit Cole's 1.09 beats Matt Cain's 1.23. Because Gerrit Cole is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Matt Cain vs Gerrit Cole: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Matt Cain or Gerrit Cole?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gerrit Cole leads Matt Cain in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Gerrit Cole, with 3.20 to Matt Cain's 3.68.
- Who won more games?
- Gerrit Cole, with 163 to Matt Cain's 104.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Gerrit Cole, with 2,382 to Matt Cain's 1,694.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Matt Cain's 1.23.