Gerrit Cole vs Red Ruffing: Career Stats Comparison
Red Ruffing 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). Gerrit Cole has played 2013–present as a pitcher; Red Ruffing played 1924–1947 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 Red Ruffing (1924–1947) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1920s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Gerrit Cole has 163 wins and 2,382 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Red Ruffing finished with 273 wins and 1,987 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 Red Ruffing's 3.80.
- Who won more games? Red Ruffing, with 273 to Gerrit Cole's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Gerrit Cole, with 2,382 to Red Ruffing's 1,987.
- Who had the better WHIP? Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Red Ruffing's 1.34.
- Who pitched more innings? Red Ruffing, with 4,344.0 to Gerrit Cole's 2,081.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Red Ruffing, with 45 to Gerrit Cole's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Gerrit Cole, with 50,909 career Pitcher PIV to Red Ruffing's 17,432.
Gerrit Cole
Red Ruffing
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 1920s 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 | Red Ruffing |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 163 | Leads: 273 |
| Losses not scored | 89 | 225 |
| Games | 339 | Leads: 624 |
| Games Started | 339 | Leads: 536 |
| Complete Games | 8 | Leads: 335 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 45 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 16 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,382 | 1,987 |
| Walks not scored | 525 | 1,541 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,742 | 4,284 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 239 | 254 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,081.0 | Leads: 4,344.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.20 | 3.80 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.09 | 1.34 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.30 | 4.12 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.27 | 3.19 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gerrit Cole outpaces Red Ruffing 50,909 to 17,432 — driven by per-season impact — 4,242 PIV per season to 758 — rather than by longevity, since Gerrit Cole played 12 seasons to Red Ruffing's 23. 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)
Red Ruffing — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Gerrit Cole leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Red Ruffing owns wins 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 Red Ruffing careers compare
Red Ruffing (1924–1947) was finished before Gerrit Cole (2013–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 339 games of Gerrit Cole with 624 of Red Ruffing across 12 and 23 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The per-nine rows read 10.30 strikeouts and 2.27 walks for Gerrit Cole, 4.12 and 3.19 for Red Ruffing. Both had the same role: Gerrit Cole was mainly a starter (339 starts in 339 games); Red Ruffing was mainly a starter (536 starts in 624 games). Complete games (8 to 335) show how differently the two eras used starters. In WHIP, Gerrit Cole's 1.09 beats Red Ruffing's 1.34. Gerrit Cole's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Gerrit Cole vs Red Ruffing: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gerrit Cole or Red Ruffing?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Red Ruffing leads Gerrit Cole in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Gerrit Cole, with 3.20 to Red Ruffing's 3.80.
- Who won more games?
- Red Ruffing, with 273 to Gerrit Cole's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Gerrit Cole, with 2,382 to Red Ruffing's 1,987.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Red Ruffing's 1.34.