Tom Gordon vs Craig Kimbrel: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Gordon and Craig Kimbrel 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; 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
Tom Gordon (1988–2009) and Craig Kimbrel (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; 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 Tom Gordon's 3.96.
- Who won more games? Tom Gordon, with 138 to Craig Kimbrel's 57.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Gordon, with 1,928 to Craig Kimbrel's 1,322.
- Who had the better WHIP? Craig Kimbrel, with 1.04 to Tom Gordon's 1.36.
- Who pitched more innings? Tom Gordon, with 2,108.0 to Craig Kimbrel's 867.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tom Gordon, with 4 to Craig Kimbrel's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Craig Kimbrel, with 30,862 career Pitcher PIV to Tom Gordon's 29,014.
Tom Gordon
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, 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.
Craig Kimbrel is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Tom Gordon | Craig Kimbrel |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 138 | 57 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 53 |
| Games | 890 | Leads: 897 |
| Games Started | Leads: 203 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 18 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 4 | 0 |
| Saves | 158 | Leads: 441 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,928 | 1,322 |
| Walks not scored | 977 | 368 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,889 | 532 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 176 | 79 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,108.0 | 867.2 |
| ERA | 3.96 | Leads: 2.69 |
| WHIP | 1.36 | Leads: 1.04 |
| K/9 | 8.23 | Leads: 13.71 |
| BB/9 | 4.17 | Leads: 3.82 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Craig Kimbrel edges Tom Gordon 30,862 to 29,014 — driven by per-season impact — 1,715 PIV per season to 1,319 — rather than by longevity, since Craig Kimbrel played 18 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)
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 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 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 Tom Gordon and Craig Kimbrel careers compare
Tom Gordon (1988–2009) was finished before Craig Kimbrel (2010–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 890 games against 897 across 22 and 18 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, 13.71 and 3.82 for Craig Kimbrel. Their roles differ: Tom Gordon split time between starting and relief (203 starts in 890 games); Craig Kimbrel worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 897 games, 441 saves). In WHIP, Craig Kimbrel's 1.04 beats Tom Gordon's 1.36. Craig Kimbrel has no qualifying season for the peak list, while Tom Gordon's best is 1993. Craig Kimbrel's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Tom Gordon vs Craig Kimbrel: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 2.69 to Tom Gordon's 3.96.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Gordon, with 138 to Craig Kimbrel's 57.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Gordon, with 1,928 to Craig Kimbrel's 1,322.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 1.04 to Tom Gordon's 1.36.