Bartolo Colon vs Pedro Martinez: Career Stats Comparison
Pedro Martinez has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Bartolo Colon played 1997–2018 as a pitcher; Pedro Martinez played 1992–2009 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
Bartolo Colon (1997–2018) and Pedro Martinez (1992–2009) — both came up during the 1990s, so the matchup is a direct one. Bartolo Colon finished with 247 wins and 2,535 strikeouts; Pedro Martinez finished with 219 wins and 3,154 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Pedro Martinez, with 2.93 to Bartolo Colon's 4.12.
- Who won more games? Bartolo Colon, with 247 to Pedro Martinez's 219.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Pedro Martinez, with 3,154 to Bartolo Colon's 2,535.
- Who had the better WHIP? Pedro Martinez, with 1.05 to Bartolo Colon's 1.31.
- Who pitched more innings? Bartolo Colon, with 3,461.2 to Pedro Martinez's 2,827.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Pedro Martinez, with 17 to Bartolo Colon's 13.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Pedro Martinez, with 113,314 career Pitcher PIV to Bartolo Colon's 11,835.
Bartolo Colon
Pedro Martinez
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bartolo Colon | Pedro Martinez |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 247 | 219 |
| Losses not scored | 188 | 100 |
| Games | Leads: 565 | 476 |
| Games Started | Leads: 552 | 409 |
| Complete Games | 38 | Leads: 46 |
| Shutouts | 13 | Leads: 17 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 3 |
| Strikeouts | 2,535 | Leads: 3,154 |
| Walks not scored | 948 | 760 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,593 | 2,221 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 439 | 239 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,461.2 | 2,827.1 |
| ERA | 4.12 | Leads: 2.93 |
| WHIP | 1.31 | Leads: 1.05 |
| K/9 | 6.59 | Leads: 10.04 |
| BB/9 | 2.46 | Leads: 2.42 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pedro Martinez outpaces Bartolo Colon 113,314 to 11,835 — driven by per-season impact — 6,295 PIV per season to 515 — rather than by longevity, since Pedro Martinez played 18 seasons to Bartolo Colon'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).
Bartolo Colon — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Pedro Martinez — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pedro Martinez leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Bartolo Colon owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pedro Martinez. PIV agrees: Pedro Martinez grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bartolo Colon and Pedro Martinez careers compare
The careers of Bartolo Colon (1997–2018) and Pedro Martinez (1992–2009) overlapped from 1997 to 2009, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 565 games for Bartolo Colon and 476 for Pedro Martinez across 23 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Bartolo Colon comes out ahead, it is in wins (247 to 219), games (565 to 476), and starts (552 to 409). The per-nine rows read 6.59 strikeouts and 2.46 walks for Bartolo Colon, 10.04 and 2.42 for Pedro Martinez.
Bartolo Colon vs Pedro Martinez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bartolo Colon or Pedro Martinez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pedro Martinez leads Bartolo Colon in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Pedro Martinez, with 2.93 to Bartolo Colon's 4.12.
- Who won more games?
- Bartolo Colon, with 247 to Pedro Martinez's 219.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Pedro Martinez, with 3,154 to Bartolo Colon's 2,535.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Pedro Martinez, with 1.05 to Bartolo Colon's 1.31.