Turk Farrell vs Craig Kimbrel: Career Stats Comparison
Turk Farrell 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). Turk Farrell played 1956–1969 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
Turk Farrell (1956–1969) and Craig Kimbrel (2010–present) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Turk Farrell finished with 106 wins and 1,177 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 Turk Farrell's 3.45.
- Who won more games? Turk Farrell, with 106 to Craig Kimbrel's 57.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Craig Kimbrel, with 1,322 to Turk Farrell's 1,177.
- Who had the better WHIP? Craig Kimbrel, with 1.04 to Turk Farrell's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Turk Farrell, with 1,705.0 to Craig Kimbrel's 867.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Turk Farrell, with 5 to Craig Kimbrel's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Craig Kimbrel, with 30,862 career Pitcher PIV to Turk Farrell's 21,059.
Turk Farrell
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 1950s 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 | Turk Farrell | Craig Kimbrel |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 106 | 57 |
| Losses not scored | 111 | 53 |
| Games | 590 | Leads: 897 |
| Games Started | Leads: 134 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 41 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 5 | 0 |
| Saves | 83 | Leads: 441 |
| Strikeouts | 1,177 | Leads: 1,322 |
| Walks not scored | 468 | 368 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,628 | 532 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 152 | 79 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,705.0 | 867.2 |
| ERA | 3.45 | Leads: 2.69 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 1.04 |
| K/9 | 6.21 | Leads: 13.71 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.47 | 3.82 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Craig Kimbrel outpaces Turk Farrell 30,862 to 21,059 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,715 PIV per season to 1,316, across 18 seasons to 16. 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).
Turk Farrell — 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 Turk Farrell 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 Turk Farrell and Craig Kimbrel careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Turk Farrell's ended in 1969, and Craig Kimbrel debuted in 2010. Craig Kimbrel has the far longer record, 897 games against 590 across 16 and 18 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. By rate, Turk Farrell struck out 6.21 and walked 2.47 per nine innings; Craig Kimbrel struck out 13.71 and walked 3.82. Their roles differ: Turk Farrell split time between starting and relief (134 starts in 590 games); Craig Kimbrel worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 897 games, 441 saves). In WHIP, Craig Kimbrel's 1.04 beats Turk Farrell's 1.23. Craig Kimbrel has no qualifying season for the peak list, while Turk Farrell's best is 1962. Craig Kimbrel's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Turk Farrell vs Craig Kimbrel: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 2.69 to Turk Farrell's 3.45.
- Who won more games?
- Turk Farrell, with 106 to Craig Kimbrel's 57.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 1,322 to Turk Farrell's 1,177.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 1.04 to Turk Farrell's 1.23.