Gerrit Cole vs Willie Foster: Career Stats Comparison
Gerrit Cole 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). Gerrit Cole has played 2013–present as a pitcher; Willie Foster played ?–1937 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
Gerrit Cole (2013–present) and Willie Foster (?–1937) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Gerrit Cole has 163 wins and 2,382 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Willie Foster finished with 125 wins and 1,062 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Willie Foster, with 2.66 to Gerrit Cole's 3.20.
- Who won more games? Gerrit Cole, with 163 to Willie Foster's 125.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Gerrit Cole, with 2,382 to Willie Foster's 1,062.
- Who had the better WHIP? Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Willie Foster's 1.15.
- Who pitched more innings? Gerrit Cole, with 2,081.0 to Willie Foster's 1,665.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Willie Foster, with 34 to Gerrit Cole's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Gerrit Cole, with 50,909 career Pitcher PIV to Willie Foster's 41,672.
Gerrit Cole
Willie Foster
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 | Gerrit Cole | Willie Foster |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 163 | 125 |
| Losses not scored | 89 | 60 |
| Games | Leads: 339 | 262 |
| Games Started | Leads: 339 | 185 |
| Complete Games | 8 | Leads: 142 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 34 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 14 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,382 | 1,062 |
| Walks not scored | 525 | 522 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,742 | 1,397 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 239 | 41 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,081.0 | 1,665.0 |
| ERA | 3.20 | Leads: 2.66 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.09 | 1.15 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.30 | 5.74 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.27 | 2.82 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gerrit Cole leads Willie Foster 50,909 to 41,672 — driven by per-season impact — 4,242 PIV per season to 2,193 — rather than by longevity, since Gerrit Cole played 12 seasons to Willie Foster's 19. 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).
Gerrit Cole — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Willie Foster — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Gerrit Cole leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Willie Foster owns ERA. 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 Gerrit Cole and Willie Foster careers compare
Willie Foster (?–1937) was finished before Gerrit Cole (2013–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 339 games against 262 across 12 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Willie Foster's edges on the table are complete games (142 to 8), shutouts (34 to 5), and saves (14 to 0). The per-nine rows read 10.30 strikeouts and 2.27 walks for Gerrit Cole, 5.74 and 2.82 for Willie Foster. Gerrit Cole was mainly a starter (339 starts in 339 games), and Willie Foster was mainly a starter (185 starts in 262 games). The complete-game row, 8 against 142, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. Gerrit Cole's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Gerrit Cole vs Willie Foster: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gerrit Cole or Willie Foster?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gerrit Cole leads Willie Foster in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Willie Foster, with 2.66 to Gerrit Cole's 3.20.
- Who won more games?
- Gerrit Cole, with 163 to Willie Foster's 125.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Gerrit Cole, with 2,382 to Willie Foster's 1,062.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Willie Foster's 1.15.