Michael Fulmer vs Craig Kimbrel: Career Stats Comparison
Craig Kimbrel has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Michael Fulmer has played 2016–present 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
Michael Fulmer (2016–present) and Craig Kimbrel (2010–present) — both came up during the 2010s, so the matchup is a direct one. Michael Fulmer has 37 wins and 596 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; 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 Michael Fulmer's 3.93.
- Who won more games? Craig Kimbrel, with 57 to Michael Fulmer's 37.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Craig Kimbrel, with 1,322 to Michael Fulmer's 596.
- Who had the better WHIP? Craig Kimbrel, with 1.04 to Michael Fulmer's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Craig Kimbrel, with 867.2 to Michael Fulmer's 693.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Michael Fulmer, with 1 to Craig Kimbrel's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Craig Kimbrel, with 30,862 career Pitcher PIV to Michael Fulmer's 4,091.
Michael Fulmer
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Michael Fulmer and Craig Kimbrel are still active — their totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Michael Fulmer | Craig Kimbrel |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 37 | Leads: 57 |
| Losses not scored | 51 | 53 |
| Games | 280 | Leads: 897 |
| Games Started | Leads: 90 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Saves | 19 | Leads: 441 |
| Strikeouts | 596 | Leads: 1,322 |
| Walks not scored | 226 | 368 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 652 | 532 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 77 | 79 |
| Innings Pitched | 693.1 | Leads: 867.2 |
| ERA | 3.93 | Leads: 2.69 |
| WHIP | 1.27 | Leads: 1.04 |
| K/9 | 7.74 | Leads: 13.71 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.93 | 3.82 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Craig Kimbrel outpaces Michael Fulmer 30,862 to 4,091 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,715 PIV per season to 409, across 18 seasons to 10. 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).
Michael Fulmer — 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 wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Michael Fulmer owns no headline categories. 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 Michael Fulmer and Craig Kimbrel careers compare
Michael Fulmer and Craig Kimbrel are both active, and their careers have run side by side since 2016. The table compares 280 games of Michael Fulmer with 897 of Craig Kimbrel across 10 and 18 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Michael Fulmer comes out ahead, it is in starts (90 to 0), complete games (2 to 0), and shutouts (1 to 0). The per-nine rows read 7.74 strikeouts and 2.93 walks for Michael Fulmer, 13.71 and 3.82 for Craig Kimbrel. Their roles differ: Michael Fulmer split time between starting and relief (90 starts in 280 games); Craig Kimbrel worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 897 games, 441 saves). Because Michael Fulmer and Craig Kimbrel are still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Michael Fulmer vs Craig Kimbrel: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Michael Fulmer or Craig Kimbrel?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Craig Kimbrel leads Michael Fulmer in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 2.69 to Michael Fulmer's 3.93.
- Who won more games?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 57 to Michael Fulmer's 37.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 1,322 to Michael Fulmer's 596.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 1.04 to Michael Fulmer's 1.27.