Tom Gordon vs Kenley Jansen: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Gordon and Kenley Jansen are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Tom Gordon played 1988–2009 as a pitcher; Kenley Jansen 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
Tom Gordon (1988–2009) and Kenley Jansen (2010–present) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Tom Gordon finished with 138 wins and 1,928 strikeouts; Kenley Jansen has 58 wins and 1,329 strikeouts through October 6, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Kenley Jansen, with 2.60 to Tom Gordon's 3.96.
- Who won more games? Tom Gordon, with 138 to Kenley Jansen's 58.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Gordon, with 1,928 to Kenley Jansen's 1,329.
- Who had the better WHIP? Kenley Jansen, with 0.97 to Tom Gordon's 1.36.
- Who pitched more innings? Tom Gordon, with 2,108.0 to Kenley Jansen's 972.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tom Gordon, with 4 to Kenley Jansen's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Kenley Jansen, with 34,863 career Pitcher PIV to Tom Gordon's 29,014.
Tom Gordon
Kenley Jansen
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 1980s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Kenley Jansen is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Tom Gordon | Kenley Jansen |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 138 | 58 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 46 |
| Games | 890 | Leads: 983 |
| Games Started | Leads: 203 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 18 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 4 | 0 |
| Saves | 158 | Leads: 498 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,928 | 1,329 |
| Walks not scored | 977 | 305 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,889 | 634 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 176 | 95 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,108.0 | 972.1 |
| ERA | 3.96 | Leads: 2.60 |
| WHIP | 1.36 | Leads: 0.97 |
| K/9 | 8.23 | Leads: 12.30 |
| BB/9 | 4.17 | Leads: 2.82 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Kenley Jansen leads Tom Gordon 34,863 to 29,014 — driven by per-season impact — 2,179 PIV per season to 1,319 — rather than by longevity, since Kenley Jansen played 16 seasons to Tom Gordon's 22. 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).
Tom Gordon — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Kenley Jansen
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Kenley Jansen leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Tom Gordon owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Kenley Jansen. PIV agrees: Kenley Jansen grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tom Gordon and Kenley Jansen careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Tom Gordon's ended in 2009, and Kenley Jansen debuted in 2010. With 890 games against 983 across 22 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The per-nine rows read 8.23 strikeouts and 4.17 walks for Tom Gordon, 12.30 and 2.82 for Kenley Jansen. Their roles differ: Tom Gordon split time between starting and relief (203 starts in 890 games); Kenley Jansen worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 983 games, 498 saves). Kenley Jansen allowed fewer baserunners, a 0.97 WHIP to Tom Gordon's 1.36. Only Tom Gordon has a season on the peak list; Kenley Jansen never reached the qualifying workload. Kenley Jansen's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Tom Gordon vs Kenley Jansen: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Kenley Jansen, with 2.60 to Tom Gordon's 3.96.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Gordon, with 138 to Kenley Jansen's 58.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Gordon, with 1,928 to Kenley Jansen's 1,329.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Kenley Jansen, with 0.97 to Tom Gordon's 1.36.