Gerrit Cole vs Scott Kazmir: Career Stats Comparison
Gerrit Cole has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Scott Kazmir played 2004–2021 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 Scott Kazmir (2004–2021) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Gerrit Cole has 163 wins and 2,382 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Scott Kazmir finished with 108 wins and 1,618 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 Scott Kazmir's 4.02.
- Who won more games? Gerrit Cole, with 163 to Scott Kazmir's 108.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Gerrit Cole, with 2,382 to Scott Kazmir's 1,618.
- Who had the better WHIP? Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Scott Kazmir's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Gerrit Cole, with 2,081.0 to Scott Kazmir's 1,701.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Gerrit Cole, with 5 to Scott Kazmir's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Gerrit Cole, with 50,909 career Pitcher PIV to Scott Kazmir's 7,832.
Gerrit Cole
Scott Kazmir
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 2000s 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 | Scott Kazmir |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 163 | 108 |
| Losses not scored | 89 | 97 |
| Games | Leads: 339 | 303 |
| Games Started | Leads: 339 | 301 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 8 | 3 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 5 | 1 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,382 | 1,618 |
| Walks not scored | 525 | 687 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,742 | 1,611 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 239 | 193 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,081.0 | 1,701.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.20 | 4.02 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.09 | 1.35 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.30 | 8.56 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.27 | 3.63 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gerrit Cole outpaces Scott Kazmir 50,909 to 7,832 — driven by per-season impact — 4,242 PIV per season to 522 — rather than by longevity, since Gerrit Cole played 12 seasons to Scott Kazmir's 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).
Gerrit Cole — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Scott Kazmir — 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 Scott Kazmir owns no headline categories. 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 Scott Kazmir careers compare
From 2013 through 2021, Gerrit Cole and Scott Kazmir were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 339 games for Gerrit Cole and 303 for Scott Kazmir across 12 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Gerrit Cole leads every scored row of the table. The per-nine rows read 10.30 strikeouts and 2.27 walks for Gerrit Cole, 8.56 and 3.63 for Scott Kazmir. Gerrit Cole was mainly a starter (339 starts in 339 games), and Scott Kazmir was mainly a starter (301 starts in 303 games). In WHIP, Gerrit Cole's 1.09 beats Scott Kazmir's 1.35. Gerrit Cole's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Gerrit Cole vs Scott Kazmir: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gerrit Cole or Scott Kazmir?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gerrit Cole leads Scott Kazmir in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Gerrit Cole, with 3.20 to Scott Kazmir's 4.02.
- Who won more games?
- Gerrit Cole, with 163 to Scott Kazmir's 108.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Gerrit Cole, with 2,382 to Scott Kazmir's 1,618.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Scott Kazmir's 1.35.