Cole Hamels vs Corey Kluber: Career Stats Comparison
Cole Hamels and Corey Kluber are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Cole Hamels played 2006–2020 as a pitcher; Corey Kluber played 2011–2023 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
Cole Hamels (2006–2020) and Corey Kluber (2011–2023) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Cole Hamels finished with 163 wins and 2,560 strikeouts; Corey Kluber finished with 116 wins and 1,725 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Cole Hamels, with 3.43 to Corey Kluber's 3.44.
- Who won more games? Cole Hamels, with 163 to Corey Kluber's 116.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Cole Hamels, with 2,560 to Corey Kluber's 1,725.
- Who had the better WHIP? Corey Kluber, with 1.13 to Cole Hamels's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Cole Hamels, with 2,698.0 to Corey Kluber's 1,641.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Corey Kluber, with 8 to Cole Hamels's 7.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Corey Kluber, with 36,049 career Pitcher PIV to Cole Hamels's 32,591.
Cole Hamels
Corey Kluber
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 2000s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Cole Hamels | Corey Kluber |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 163 | 116 |
| Losses not scored | 122 | 77 |
| Games | Leads: 423 | 271 |
| Games Started | Leads: 422 | 260 |
| Complete Games | 17 | Leads: 18 |
| Shutouts | 7 | Leads: 8 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,560 | 1,725 |
| Walks not scored | 767 | 368 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,424 | 1,486 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 310 | 177 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,698.0 | 1,641.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.43 | 3.44 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 8.54 | Leads: 9.46 |
| BB/9 | 2.56 | Leads: 2.02 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Corey Kluber leads Cole Hamels 36,049 to 32,591 — driven by per-season impact — 2,773 PIV per season to 1,917 — rather than by longevity, since Corey Kluber played 13 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).
Cole Hamels — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Corey Kluber — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Cole Hamels leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Corey Kluber owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Cole Hamels. Note that PIV actually grades Corey Kluber ahead, which means Cole Hamels's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Cole Hamels and Corey Kluber careers compare
The careers of Cole Hamels (2006–2020) and Corey Kluber (2011–2023) overlapped from 2011 to 2020, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Cole Hamels appeared in 423 games to Corey Kluber's 271. By rate, Cole Hamels struck out 8.54 and walked 2.56 per nine innings; Corey Kluber struck out 9.46 and walked 2.02. Both had the same role: Cole Hamels was mainly a starter (422 starts in 423 games); Corey Kluber was mainly a starter (260 starts in 271 games). In WHIP, Corey Kluber's 1.13 beats Cole Hamels's 1.18.
Cole Hamels vs Corey Kluber: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Cole Hamels, with 3.43 to Corey Kluber's 3.44.
- Who won more games?
- Cole Hamels, with 163 to Corey Kluber's 116.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Cole Hamels, with 2,560 to Corey Kluber's 1,725.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Corey Kluber, with 1.13 to Cole Hamels's 1.18.