Dennis Eckersley vs Kenley Jansen: Career Stats Comparison

Dennis Eckersley (1975–1998) and Kenley Jansen (2010–present) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Dennis Eckersley compiled 197 wins and 2,401 strikeouts; Kenley Jansen put up 54 wins and 1,278 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Dennis Eckersley

Pitcher · 1975–1998
Wins
197
Losses
171
Strikeouts
2,401
ERA
3.50
WHIP
1.16
IP
3,285
View Dennis Eckersley's full profile →

Kenley Jansen

Pitcher · 2010–present
Wins
54
Losses
40
Strikeouts
1,278
ERA
2.57
WHIP
0.96
IP
927
View Kenley Jansen's full profile →

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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.

Statistic Dennis Eckersley Kenley Jansen
Wins 197 54
Losses 171 40
Games 1,071 933
Games Started 361 0
Complete Games 100 0
Shutouts 20 0
Saves 390 476
Strikeouts 2,401 1,278
Walks 738 282
Hits Allowed 3,076 610
Home Runs Allowed 347 88
Innings Pitched 3,285 927
ERA 3.50 2.57
WHIP 1.16 0.96
K/9 6.58 12.40
BB/9 2.02 2.74

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dennis Eckersley leads Kenley Jansen 41,139 to 34,863 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,646 vs 2,179 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Dennis Eckersley
41,139
Career Pitcher PIV · 1,646 per season (25 seasons)
Kenley Jansen
34,863
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,179 per season (16 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).

Dennis Eckersley — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19752.60 ERA13-7, 152 K in 186 IP
19782.99 ERA20-8, 162 K in 268 IP
19792.99 ERA17-10, 150 K in 246 IP

Kenley Jansen — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Dennis Eckersley leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Kenley Jansen owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dennis Eckersley. PIV agrees: Dennis Eckersley grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

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