Ken Giles vs Mark Melancon: Career Stats Comparison
Mark Melancon has the better career line of the two, leading 6 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; Mark Melancon played 2009–2022 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 Mark Melancon (2009–2022) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Ken Giles finished with 14 wins and 484 strikeouts; Mark Melancon finished with 37 wins and 643 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 Mark Melancon's 2.94.
- Who won more games? Mark Melancon, with 37 to Ken Giles's 14.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Mark Melancon, with 643 to Ken Giles's 484.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ken Giles, with 1.12 to Mark Melancon's 1.17.
- Who pitched more innings? Mark Melancon, with 726.2 to Ken Giles's 355.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Mark Melancon, with 19,354 career Pitcher PIV to Ken Giles's 15,698.
Mark Melancon
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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ken Giles | Mark Melancon |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 14 | Leads: 37 |
| Losses not scored | 18 | 40 |
| Games | 362 | Leads: 732 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 115 | Leads: 262 |
| Strikeouts | 484 | Leads: 643 |
| Walks not scored | 114 | 192 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 283 | 657 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 28 | 44 |
| Innings Pitched | 355.1 | Leads: 726.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.71 | 2.94 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.12 | 1.17 |
| K/9 | Leads: 12.26 | 7.96 |
| BB/9 | 2.89 | Leads: 2.38 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark Melancon leads Ken Giles 19,354 to 15,698 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Mark Melancon played 17 seasons to Ken Giles's 9, while Ken Giles carries the higher per-season figure (1,744 to 1,138). 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.
Mark Melancon
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mark Melancon leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Ken Giles owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mark Melancon. PIV agrees: Mark Melancon 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 Mark Melancon careers compare
The careers of Ken Giles (2014–2022) and Mark Melancon (2009–2022) overlapped from 2014 to 2022, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Mark Melancon has the far longer record, 732 games against 362 across 9 and 17 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Ken Giles are ERA (2.71 to 2.94), WHIP (1.12 to 1.17), and strikeouts per nine (12.26 to 7.96). The per-nine rows read 12.26 strikeouts and 2.89 walks for Ken Giles, 7.96 and 2.38 for Mark Melancon. Ken Giles worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 362 games, 115 saves), and Mark Melancon worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 732 games, 262 saves).
Ken Giles vs Mark Melancon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ken Giles or Mark Melancon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mark Melancon leads Ken Giles in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ken Giles, with 2.71 to Mark Melancon's 2.94.
- Who won more games?
- Mark Melancon, with 37 to Ken Giles's 14.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Mark Melancon, with 643 to Ken Giles's 484.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ken Giles, with 1.12 to Mark Melancon's 1.17.