Gerrit Cole vs Fergie Jenkins: Career Stats Comparison
Fergie Jenkins has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Fergie Jenkins played 1965–1983 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 Fergie Jenkins (1965–1983) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Gerrit Cole has 163 wins and 2,382 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Fergie Jenkins finished with 284 wins and 3,192 strikeouts. 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 Fergie Jenkins's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Fergie Jenkins, with 284 to Gerrit Cole's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Fergie Jenkins, with 3,192 to Gerrit Cole's 2,382.
- Who had the better WHIP? Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Fergie Jenkins's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Fergie Jenkins, with 4,500.2 to Gerrit Cole's 2,081.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Fergie Jenkins, with 49 to Gerrit Cole's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Gerrit Cole, with 50,909 career Pitcher PIV to Fergie Jenkins's 40,614.
Gerrit Cole
Fergie Jenkins
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 2010s and the 1960s 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 | Gerrit Cole | Fergie Jenkins |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 163 | Leads: 284 |
| Losses not scored | 89 | 226 |
| Games | 339 | Leads: 664 |
| Games Started | 339 | Leads: 594 |
| Complete Games | 8 | Leads: 267 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 49 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 7 |
| Strikeouts | 2,382 | Leads: 3,192 |
| Walks not scored | 525 | 997 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,742 | 4,142 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 239 | 484 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,081.0 | Leads: 4,500.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.20 | 3.34 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.09 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.30 | 6.38 |
| BB/9 | 2.27 | Leads: 1.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gerrit Cole leads Fergie Jenkins 50,909 to 40,614 — driven by per-season impact — 4,242 PIV per season to 2,031 — rather than by longevity, since Gerrit Cole played 12 seasons to Fergie Jenkins's 20. 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)
Fergie Jenkins — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Gerrit Cole leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Fergie Jenkins owns wins, strikeouts, and 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 Gerrit Cole and Fergie Jenkins careers compare
Fergie Jenkins (1965–1983) was finished before Gerrit Cole (2013–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 339 games of Gerrit Cole with 664 of Fergie Jenkins across 12 and 20 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Gerrit Cole are ERA (3.20 to 3.34), WHIP (1.09 to 1.14), and strikeouts per nine (10.30 to 6.38). The per-nine rows read 10.30 strikeouts and 2.27 walks for Gerrit Cole, 6.38 and 1.99 for Fergie Jenkins. Both had the same role: Gerrit Cole was mainly a starter (339 starts in 339 games); Fergie Jenkins was mainly a starter (594 starts in 664 games). Gerrit Cole's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Gerrit Cole vs Fergie Jenkins: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gerrit Cole or Fergie Jenkins?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fergie Jenkins leads Gerrit Cole in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Gerrit Cole, with 3.20 to Fergie Jenkins's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 284 to Gerrit Cole's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 3,192 to Gerrit Cole's 2,382.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Fergie Jenkins's 1.14.