Roy Halladay vs Cole Hamels: Career Stats Comparison
Roy Halladay 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). Roy Halladay played 1998–2013 as a pitcher; Cole Hamels played 2006–2020 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
Roy Halladay (1998–2013) and Cole Hamels (2006–2020) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Roy Halladay finished with 203 wins and 2,117 strikeouts; Cole Hamels finished with 163 wins and 2,560 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Roy Halladay, with 3.38 to Cole Hamels's 3.43.
- Who won more games? Roy Halladay, with 203 to Cole Hamels's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Cole Hamels, with 2,560 to Roy Halladay's 2,117.
- Who had the better WHIP? Neither — both are at 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Roy Halladay, with 2,749.1 to Cole Hamels's 2,698.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Roy Halladay, with 20 to Cole Hamels's 7.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roy Halladay, with 66,478 career Pitcher PIV to Cole Hamels's 32,591.
Roy Halladay
Cole Hamels
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 1990s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roy Halladay | Cole Hamels |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 203 | 163 |
| Losses not scored | 105 | 122 |
| Games | 416 | Leads: 423 |
| Games Started | 390 | Leads: 422 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 67 | 17 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 20 | 7 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,117 | Leads: 2,560 |
| Walks not scored | 592 | 767 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,646 | 2,424 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 236 | 310 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,749.1 | 2,698.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.38 | 3.43 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | 6.93 | Leads: 8.54 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.94 | 2.56 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roy Halladay outpaces Cole Hamels 66,478 to 32,591 — driven by per-season impact — 4,155 PIV per season to 1,917 — rather than by longevity, since Roy Halladay played 16 seasons to Cole Hamels's 17. 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).
Roy Halladay — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Cole Hamels — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roy Halladay leads in wins, ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Cole Hamels owns strikeouts and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Roy Halladay. PIV agrees: Roy Halladay grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels careers compare
From 2006 through 2013, Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 416 games for Roy Halladay and 423 for Cole Hamels across 16 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Cole Hamels are games (423 to 416), starts (422 to 390), and strikeouts (2,560 to 2,117). The per-nine rows read 6.93 strikeouts and 1.94 walks for Roy Halladay, 8.54 and 2.56 for Cole Hamels. Both had the same role: Roy Halladay was mainly a starter (390 starts in 416 games); Cole Hamels was mainly a starter (422 starts in 423 games).
Roy Halladay vs Cole Hamels: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roy Halladay or Cole Hamels?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roy Halladay leads Cole Hamels in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Roy Halladay, with 3.38 to Cole Hamels's 3.43.
- Who won more games?
- Roy Halladay, with 203 to Cole Hamels's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Cole Hamels, with 2,560 to Roy Halladay's 2,117.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Neither — both are at 1.18.