Gerrit Cole vs Johan Santana: Career Stats Comparison
Gerrit Cole 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; Johan Santana played 2000–2012 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 Johan Santana (2000–2012) — 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; Johan Santana finished with 139 wins and 1,988 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Neither — both are at 3.20.
- Who won more games? Gerrit Cole, with 163 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Gerrit Cole, with 2,382 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP? Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Johan Santana's 1.13.
- Who pitched more innings? Gerrit Cole, with 2,081.0 to Johan Santana's 2,025.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Johan Santana, with 10 to Gerrit Cole's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Gerrit Cole, with 50,909 career Pitcher PIV to Johan Santana's 48,732.
Gerrit Cole
Johan Santana
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 | Johan Santana |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 163 | 139 |
| Losses not scored | 89 | 78 |
| Games | 339 | Leads: 360 |
| Games Started | Leads: 339 | 284 |
| Complete Games | 8 | Leads: 15 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 10 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,382 | 1,988 |
| Walks not scored | 525 | 567 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,742 | 1,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 239 | 220 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,081.0 | 2,025.2 |
| ERA | 3.20 | Leads: 3.20 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.09 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.30 | 8.83 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.27 | 2.52 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gerrit Cole edges Johan Santana 50,909 to 48,732 — driven by per-season impact — 4,242 PIV per season to 4,061 — rather than by longevity, since Gerrit Cole played 12 seasons to Johan Santana's 12. 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)
Johan Santana — 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 Johan Santana 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 Johan Santana careers compare
No season is shared: Johan Santana played 2000–2012, Gerrit Cole 2013–present. With 339 games against 360 across 12 and 12 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. By rate, Gerrit Cole struck out 10.30 and walked 2.27 per nine innings; Johan Santana struck out 8.83 and walked 2.52. Gerrit Cole was mainly a starter (339 starts in 339 games), and Johan Santana was mainly a starter (284 starts in 360 games). In WHIP, Gerrit Cole's 1.09 beats Johan Santana's 1.13. On the peak-season lists, Gerrit Cole's best year is 2019 at 2.50 ERA and Johan Santana's is 2008 at 2.53 ERA; Gerrit Cole has the stronger single season. Because Gerrit Cole is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Gerrit Cole vs Johan Santana: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gerrit Cole or Johan Santana?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gerrit Cole leads Johan Santana in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Neither — both are at 3.20.
- Who won more games?
- Gerrit Cole, with 163 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Gerrit Cole, with 2,382 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Johan Santana's 1.13.