Wade Davis vs Craig Kimbrel: Career Stats Comparison
Wade Davis and Craig Kimbrel are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Wade Davis played 2009–2021 as a pitcher; Craig Kimbrel has played 2010–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
Wade Davis (2009–2021) and Craig Kimbrel (2010–present) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Wade Davis finished with 63 wins and 929 strikeouts; Craig Kimbrel has 57 wins and 1,322 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Craig Kimbrel, with 2.69 to Wade Davis's 3.94.
- Who won more games? Wade Davis, with 63 to Craig Kimbrel's 57.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Craig Kimbrel, with 1,322 to Wade Davis's 929.
- Who had the better WHIP? Craig Kimbrel, with 1.04 to Wade Davis's 1.30.
- Who pitched more innings? Wade Davis, with 990.1 to Craig Kimbrel's 867.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Wade Davis, with 1 to Craig Kimbrel's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Craig Kimbrel, with 30,862 career Pitcher PIV to Wade Davis's 5,777.
Craig Kimbrel
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 2000s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Craig Kimbrel is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Wade Davis | Craig Kimbrel |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 63 | 57 |
| Losses not scored | 55 | 53 |
| Games | 557 | Leads: 897 |
| Games Started | Leads: 88 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Saves | 141 | Leads: 441 |
| Strikeouts | 929 | Leads: 1,322 |
| Walks not scored | 389 | 368 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 895 | 532 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 104 | 79 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 990.1 | 867.2 |
| ERA | 3.94 | Leads: 2.69 |
| WHIP | 1.30 | Leads: 1.04 |
| K/9 | 8.44 | Leads: 13.71 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.54 | 3.82 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Craig Kimbrel outpaces Wade Davis 30,862 to 5,777 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,715 PIV per season to 444, across 18 seasons to 13. 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).
Wade Davis — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Craig Kimbrel
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Craig Kimbrel leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Wade Davis owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Craig Kimbrel. PIV agrees: Craig Kimbrel grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Wade Davis and Craig Kimbrel careers compare
Wade Davis and Craig Kimbrel were active at the same time between 2010 and 2021. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Wade Davis appeared in 557 games to Craig Kimbrel's 897. The per-nine rows read 8.44 strikeouts and 3.54 walks for Wade Davis, 13.71 and 3.82 for Craig Kimbrel. Wade Davis worked mostly in relief (88 starts in 557 games, 141 saves), and Craig Kimbrel worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 897 games, 441 saves). In WHIP, Craig Kimbrel's 1.04 beats Wade Davis's 1.30. Only Wade Davis has a season on the peak list; Craig Kimbrel never reached the qualifying workload. Because Craig Kimbrel is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Wade Davis vs Craig Kimbrel: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 2.69 to Wade Davis's 3.94.
- Who won more games?
- Wade Davis, with 63 to Craig Kimbrel's 57.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 1,322 to Wade Davis's 929.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 1.04 to Wade Davis's 1.30.