Max Fried vs Fergie Jenkins: Career Stats Comparison
Fergie Jenkins 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). Max Fried has played 2017–present as a pitcher; Fergie Jenkins played 1965–1983 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
Max Fried (2017–present) and Fergie Jenkins (1965–1983) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Max Fried has 97 wins and 1,156 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Fergie Jenkins finished with 284 wins and 3,192 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Max Fried, with 3.01 to Fergie Jenkins's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Fergie Jenkins, with 284 to Max Fried's 97.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Fergie Jenkins, with 3,192 to Max Fried's 1,156.
- Who had the better WHIP? Neither — both are at 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Fergie Jenkins, with 4,500.2 to Max Fried's 1,192.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Fergie Jenkins, with 49 to Max Fried's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Fergie Jenkins, with 40,614 career Pitcher PIV to Max Fried's 26,852.
Max Fried
Fergie Jenkins
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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Max Fried is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Max Fried | Fergie Jenkins |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 97 | Leads: 284 |
| Losses not scored | 46 | 226 |
| Games | 220 | Leads: 664 |
| Games Started | 203 | Leads: 594 |
| Complete Games | 6 | Leads: 267 |
| Shutouts | 4 | Leads: 49 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 7 |
| Strikeouts | 1,156 | Leads: 3,192 |
| Walks not scored | 330 | 997 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,026 | 4,142 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 94 | 484 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,192.1 | Leads: 4,500.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.01 | 3.34 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.73 | 6.38 |
| BB/9 | 2.49 | Leads: 1.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Fergie Jenkins outpaces Max Fried 40,614 to 26,852 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Fergie Jenkins played 20 seasons to Max Fried's 9, while Max Fried carries the higher per-season figure (2,984 to 2,031). 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).
Max Fried — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Fergie Jenkins — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Fergie Jenkins leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Max Fried owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Fergie Jenkins. PIV agrees: Fergie Jenkins grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Max Fried and Fergie Jenkins careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Fergie Jenkins's ended in 1983, and Max Fried debuted in 2017. Fergie Jenkins has the far longer record, 664 games against 220 across 9 and 20 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Max Fried's edges on the table are ERA (3.01 to 3.34), WHIP (1.14 to 1.14), and strikeouts per nine (8.73 to 6.38). The per-nine rows read 8.73 strikeouts and 2.49 walks for Max Fried, 6.38 and 1.99 for Fergie Jenkins. Both had the same role: Max Fried was mainly a starter (203 starts in 220 games); Fergie Jenkins was mainly a starter (594 starts in 664 games). Max Fried's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Max Fried vs Fergie Jenkins: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Max Fried or Fergie Jenkins?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fergie Jenkins leads Max Fried in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Max Fried, with 3.01 to Fergie Jenkins's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 284 to Max Fried's 97.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 3,192 to Max Fried's 1,156.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Neither — both are at 1.14.