Gerrit Cole vs Tarik Skubal: 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; Tarik Skubal has played 2020–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 Tarik Skubal (2020–present) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Gerrit Cole has 163 wins and 2,382 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Tarik Skubal has 66 wins and 1,075 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Tarik Skubal, with 3.02 to Gerrit Cole's 3.20.
- Who won more games? Gerrit Cole, with 163 to Tarik Skubal's 66.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Gerrit Cole, with 2,382 to Tarik Skubal's 1,075.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tarik Skubal, with 1.01 to Gerrit Cole's 1.09.
- Who pitched more innings? Gerrit Cole, with 2,081.0 to Tarik Skubal's 925.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Gerrit Cole, with 5 to Tarik Skubal's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Gerrit Cole, with 50,909 career Pitcher PIV to Tarik Skubal's 20,288.
Gerrit Cole
Tarik Skubal
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 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Gerrit Cole and Tarik Skubal are still active — their totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Gerrit Cole | Tarik Skubal |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 163 | 66 |
| Losses not scored | 89 | 44 |
| Games | Leads: 339 | 163 |
| Games Started | Leads: 339 | 160 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 8 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 5 | 1 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,382 | 1,075 |
| Walks not scored | 525 | 199 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,742 | 740 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 239 | 104 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,081.0 | 925.1 |
| ERA | 3.20 | Leads: 3.02 |
| WHIP | 1.09 | Leads: 1.01 |
| K/9 | 10.30 | Leads: 10.46 |
| BB/9 | 2.27 | Leads: 1.94 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gerrit Cole outpaces Tarik Skubal 50,909 to 20,288 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,242 PIV per season to 3,381, across 12 seasons to 6. 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)
Tarik Skubal — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Gerrit Cole leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Tarik Skubal owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. 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 Tarik Skubal careers compare
The two careers overlap from 2020 on, with both players still active. The table compares 339 games of Gerrit Cole with 163 of Tarik Skubal across 12 and 6 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Tarik Skubal comes out ahead, it is in ERA (3.02 to 3.20), WHIP (1.01 to 1.09), and strikeouts per nine (10.46 to 10.30). The per-nine rows read 10.30 strikeouts and 2.27 walks for Gerrit Cole, 10.46 and 1.94 for Tarik Skubal. Gerrit Cole was mainly a starter (339 starts in 339 games), and Tarik Skubal was mainly a starter (160 starts in 163 games). Tarik Skubal allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.01 WHIP to Gerrit Cole's 1.09. Gerrit Cole and Tarik Skubal's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Gerrit Cole vs Tarik Skubal: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gerrit Cole or Tarik Skubal?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gerrit Cole leads Tarik Skubal in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Tarik Skubal, with 3.02 to Gerrit Cole's 3.20.
- Who won more games?
- Gerrit Cole, with 163 to Tarik Skubal's 66.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Gerrit Cole, with 2,382 to Tarik Skubal's 1,075.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tarik Skubal, with 1.01 to Gerrit Cole's 1.09.