Ken Giles vs Liam Hendriks: Career Stats Comparison
Liam Hendriks 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). Ken Giles played 2014–2022 as a pitcher; Liam Hendriks played 2011–2025 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
Ken Giles (2014–2022) and Liam Hendriks (2011–2025) — both came up during the 2010s, so the matchup is a direct one. Ken Giles finished with 14 wins and 484 strikeouts; Liam Hendriks finished with 33 wins and 739 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Ken Giles, with 2.71 to Liam Hendriks's 3.88.
- Who won more games? Liam Hendriks, with 33 to Ken Giles's 14.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Liam Hendriks, with 739 to Ken Giles's 484.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ken Giles, with 1.12 to Liam Hendriks's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Liam Hendriks, with 663.2 to Ken Giles's 355.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Ken Giles, with 15,698 career Pitcher PIV to Liam Hendriks's 14,422.
Liam Hendriks
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.
| Statistic | Ken Giles | Liam Hendriks |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 14 | Leads: 33 |
| Losses not scored | 18 | 36 |
| Games | 362 | Leads: 490 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 44 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 115 | Leads: 116 |
| Strikeouts | 484 | Leads: 739 |
| Walks not scored | 114 | 166 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 283 | 630 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 28 | 79 |
| Innings Pitched | 355.1 | Leads: 663.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.71 | 3.88 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.12 | 1.20 |
| K/9 | Leads: 12.26 | 10.02 |
| BB/9 | 2.89 | Leads: 2.25 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Giles leads Liam Hendriks 15,698 to 14,422 — driven by per-season impact — 1,744 PIV per season to 961 — rather than by longevity, since Ken Giles played 9 seasons to Liam Hendriks's 15. 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).
Ken Giles
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Liam Hendriks
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ken Giles leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Liam Hendriks owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ken Giles. PIV agrees: Ken Giles grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Ken Giles and Liam Hendriks careers compare
From 2014 through 2022, Ken Giles and Liam Hendriks were in the majors together. With 362 games against 490 across 9 and 15 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Ken Giles's edges on the table are ERA (2.71 to 3.88), WHIP (1.12 to 1.20), and strikeouts per nine (12.26 to 10.02). The per-nine rows read 12.26 strikeouts and 2.89 walks for Ken Giles, 10.02 and 2.25 for Liam Hendriks. Both had the same role: Ken Giles worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 362 games, 115 saves); Liam Hendriks worked mostly in relief (44 starts in 490 games, 116 saves).
Ken Giles vs Liam Hendriks: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Giles or Liam Hendriks?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Liam Hendriks leads Ken Giles in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ken Giles, with 2.71 to Liam Hendriks's 3.88.
- Who won more games?
- Liam Hendriks, with 33 to Ken Giles's 14.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Liam Hendriks, with 739 to Ken Giles's 484.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ken Giles, with 1.12 to Liam Hendriks's 1.20.