Yu Darvish vs Cole Hamels: Career Stats Comparison
Cole Hamels has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Yu Darvish played 2012–2025 as a pitcher; Cole Hamels played 2006–2020 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
Yu Darvish (2012–2025) and Cole Hamels (2006–2020) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Yu Darvish finished with 115 wins and 2,075 strikeouts; Cole Hamels finished with 163 wins and 2,560 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Cole Hamels, with 3.43 to Yu Darvish's 3.65.
- Who won more games? Cole Hamels, with 163 to Yu Darvish's 115.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Cole Hamels, with 2,560 to Yu Darvish's 2,075.
- Who had the better WHIP? Yu Darvish, with 1.14 to Cole Hamels's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Cole Hamels, with 2,698.0 to Yu Darvish's 1,778.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cole Hamels, with 7 to Yu Darvish's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cole Hamels, with 32,591 career Pitcher PIV to Yu Darvish's 25,371.
Yu Darvish
Cole Hamels
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.
| Statistic | Yu Darvish | Cole Hamels |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 115 | Leads: 163 |
| Losses not scored | 93 | 122 |
| Games | 297 | Leads: 423 |
| Games Started | 297 | Leads: 422 |
| Complete Games | 2 | Leads: 17 |
| Shutouts | 1 | Leads: 7 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,075 | Leads: 2,560 |
| Walks not scored | 563 | 767 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,460 | 2,424 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 231 | 310 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,778.0 | Leads: 2,698.0 |
| ERA | 3.65 | Leads: 3.43 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.50 | 8.54 |
| BB/9 | 2.85 | Leads: 2.56 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cole Hamels leads Yu Darvish 32,591 to 25,371 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,917 PIV per season to 1,812, across 17 seasons to 14. 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).
Yu Darvish — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Cole Hamels — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Cole Hamels leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Yu Darvish owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Cole Hamels. PIV agrees: Cole Hamels grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels careers compare
Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels were active at the same time between 2012 and 2020. The two careers are close in length, 297 games for Yu Darvish and 423 for Cole Hamels across 14 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Yu Darvish comes out ahead, it is in WHIP (1.14 to 1.18) and strikeouts per nine (10.50 to 8.54). The per-nine rows read 10.50 strikeouts and 2.85 walks for Yu Darvish, 8.54 and 2.56 for Cole Hamels. Both had the same role: Yu Darvish was mainly a starter (297 starts in 297 games); Cole Hamels was mainly a starter (422 starts in 423 games).
Yu Darvish vs Cole Hamels: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Yu Darvish or Cole Hamels?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cole Hamels leads Yu Darvish in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Cole Hamels, with 3.43 to Yu Darvish's 3.65.
- Who won more games?
- Cole Hamels, with 163 to Yu Darvish's 115.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Cole Hamels, with 2,560 to Yu Darvish's 2,075.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Yu Darvish, with 1.14 to Cole Hamels's 1.18.