Bartolo Colon vs Blake Snell: Career Stats Comparison
Bartolo Colon 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; Blake Snell has played 2016–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
Bartolo Colon (1997–2018) and Blake Snell (2016–present) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bartolo Colon finished with 247 wins and 2,535 strikeouts; Blake Snell has 85 wins and 1,495 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Blake Snell, with 3.10 to Bartolo Colon's 4.12.
- Who won more games? Bartolo Colon, with 247 to Blake Snell's 85.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bartolo Colon, with 2,535 to Blake Snell's 1,495.
- Who had the better WHIP? Blake Snell, with 1.22 to Bartolo Colon's 1.31.
- Who pitched more innings? Bartolo Colon, with 3,461.2 to Blake Snell's 1,200.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bartolo Colon, with 13 to Blake Snell's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Blake Snell, with 27,494 career Pitcher PIV to Bartolo Colon's 11,835.
Bartolo Colon
Blake Snell
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 1990s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Blake Snell is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Bartolo Colon | Blake Snell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 247 | 85 |
| Losses not scored | 188 | 63 |
| Games | Leads: 565 | 231 |
| Games Started | Leads: 552 | 231 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 38 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 13 | 1 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,535 | 1,495 |
| Walks not scored | 948 | 537 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,593 | 922 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 439 | 111 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,461.2 | 1,200.2 |
| ERA | 4.12 | Leads: 3.10 |
| WHIP | 1.31 | Leads: 1.22 |
| K/9 | 6.59 | Leads: 11.21 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.46 | 4.03 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Blake Snell outpaces Bartolo Colon 27,494 to 11,835 — driven by per-season impact — 2,749 PIV per season to 515 — rather than by longevity, since Blake Snell played 10 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)
Blake Snell — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Blake Snell leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Bartolo Colon owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Blake Snell. PIV agrees: Blake Snell 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 Blake Snell careers compare
The careers of Bartolo Colon (1997–2018) and Blake Snell (2016–present) overlapped from 2016 to 2018, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Bartolo Colon has the far longer record, 565 games against 231 across 23 and 10 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Blake Snell's edges on the table are ERA (3.10 to 4.12), WHIP (1.22 to 1.31), and strikeouts per nine (11.21 to 6.59). The per-nine rows read 6.59 strikeouts and 2.46 walks for Bartolo Colon, 11.21 and 4.03 for Blake Snell. Both had the same role: Bartolo Colon was mainly a starter (552 starts in 565 games); Blake Snell was mainly a starter (231 starts in 231 games). Blake Snell's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Bartolo Colon vs Blake Snell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bartolo Colon or Blake Snell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bartolo Colon leads Blake Snell in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Blake Snell, with 3.10 to Bartolo Colon's 4.12.
- Who won more games?
- Bartolo Colon, with 247 to Blake Snell's 85.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bartolo Colon, with 2,535 to Blake Snell's 1,495.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Blake Snell, with 1.22 to Bartolo Colon's 1.31.