Sonny Gray vs Felix Hernandez: Career Stats Comparison
Felix Hernandez has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Sonny Gray has played 2013–present as a pitcher; Felix Hernandez played 2005–2019 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
Sonny Gray (2013–present) and Felix Hernandez (2005–2019) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Sonny Gray has 143 wins and 2,074 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Felix Hernandez finished with 169 wins and 2,524 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Felix Hernandez, with 3.42 to Sonny Gray's 3.51.
- Who won more games? Felix Hernandez, with 169 to Sonny Gray's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Felix Hernandez, with 2,524 to Sonny Gray's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP? Sonny Gray, with 1.19 to Felix Hernandez's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? Felix Hernandez, with 2,729.2 to Sonny Gray's 2,087.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Felix Hernandez, with 11 to Sonny Gray's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Felix Hernandez, with 44,530 career Pitcher PIV to Sonny Gray's 31,195.
Sonny Gray
Felix Hernandez
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.
Sonny Gray is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Sonny Gray | Felix Hernandez |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 143 | Leads: 169 |
| Losses not scored | 107 | 136 |
| Games | 368 | Leads: 419 |
| Games Started | 359 | Leads: 418 |
| Complete Games | 7 | Leads: 25 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 11 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,074 | Leads: 2,524 |
| Walks not scored | 667 | 805 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,823 | 2,487 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 208 | 264 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,087.0 | Leads: 2,729.2 |
| ERA | 3.51 | Leads: 3.42 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.19 | 1.21 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.94 | 8.32 |
| BB/9 | 2.88 | Leads: 2.65 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Felix Hernandez outpaces Sonny Gray 44,530 to 31,195 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,969 PIV per season to 2,228, across 15 seasons to 14. 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).
Sonny Gray — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Felix Hernandez — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Felix Hernandez leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Sonny Gray owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Felix Hernandez. PIV agrees: Felix Hernandez grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Sonny Gray and Felix Hernandez careers compare
From 2013 through 2019, Sonny Gray and Felix Hernandez were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 368 games for Sonny Gray and 419 for Felix Hernandez across 14 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Sonny Gray comes out ahead, it is in WHIP (1.19 to 1.21) and strikeouts per nine (8.94 to 8.32). The per-nine rows read 8.94 strikeouts and 2.88 walks for Sonny Gray, 8.32 and 2.65 for Felix Hernandez. Sonny Gray was mainly a starter (359 starts in 368 games), and Felix Hernandez was mainly a starter (418 starts in 419 games). In WHIP, Sonny Gray's 1.19 beats Felix Hernandez's 1.21. Because Sonny Gray is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Sonny Gray vs Felix Hernandez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sonny Gray or Felix Hernandez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Felix Hernandez leads Sonny Gray in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Felix Hernandez, with 3.42 to Sonny Gray's 3.51.
- Who won more games?
- Felix Hernandez, with 169 to Sonny Gray's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Felix Hernandez, with 2,524 to Sonny Gray's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Sonny Gray, with 1.19 to Felix Hernandez's 1.21.