Gerrit Cole vs Max Fried: 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). Gerrit Cole has played 2013–present as a pitcher; Max Fried has played 2017–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
Gerrit Cole (2013–present) and Max Fried (2017–present) — both came up during the 2010s, so the matchup is a direct one. Gerrit Cole has 163 wins and 2,382 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Max Fried has 97 wins and 1,156 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Max Fried, with 3.01 to Gerrit Cole's 3.20.
- Who won more games? Gerrit Cole, with 163 to Max Fried's 97.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Gerrit Cole, with 2,382 to Max Fried's 1,156.
- Who had the better WHIP? Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Max Fried's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Gerrit Cole, with 2,081.0 to Max Fried's 1,192.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Gerrit Cole, with 5 to Max Fried's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Gerrit Cole, with 50,909 career Pitcher PIV to Max Fried's 26,852.
Gerrit Cole
Max Fried
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 and Max Fried are still active — their totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Gerrit Cole | Max Fried |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 163 | 97 |
| Losses not scored | 89 | 46 |
| Games | Leads: 339 | 220 |
| Games Started | Leads: 339 | 203 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 8 | 6 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 5 | 4 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,382 | 1,156 |
| Walks not scored | 525 | 330 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,742 | 1,026 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 239 | 94 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,081.0 | 1,192.1 |
| ERA | 3.20 | Leads: 3.01 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.09 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.30 | 8.73 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.27 | 2.49 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gerrit Cole outpaces Max Fried 50,909 to 26,852 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,242 PIV per season to 2,984, across 12 seasons to 9. 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)
Max Fried — 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 Max Fried 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 Max Fried careers compare
Gerrit Cole and Max Fried are both active, and their careers have run side by side since 2017. Gerrit Cole has the far longer record, 339 games against 220 across 12 and 9 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Max Fried are ERA (3.01 to 3.20). The per-nine rows read 10.30 strikeouts and 2.27 walks for Gerrit Cole, 8.73 and 2.49 for Max Fried. Both had the same role: Gerrit Cole was mainly a starter (339 starts in 339 games); Max Fried was mainly a starter (203 starts in 220 games). In WHIP, Gerrit Cole's 1.09 beats Max Fried's 1.14. Because Gerrit Cole and Max Fried are still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Gerrit Cole vs Max Fried: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gerrit Cole or Max Fried?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gerrit Cole leads Max Fried in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Max Fried, with 3.01 to Gerrit Cole's 3.20.
- Who won more games?
- Gerrit Cole, with 163 to Max Fried's 97.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Gerrit Cole, with 2,382 to Max Fried's 1,156.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Max Fried's 1.14.