Cole Hamels vs Stephen Strasburg: Career Stats Comparison
Cole Hamels has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Cole Hamels played 2006–2020 as a pitcher; Stephen Strasburg played 2010–2022 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 Stephen Strasburg (2010–2022) — 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; Stephen Strasburg finished with 113 wins and 1,723 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Stephen Strasburg, with 3.24 to Cole Hamels's 3.43.
- Who won more games? Cole Hamels, with 163 to Stephen Strasburg's 113.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Cole Hamels, with 2,560 to Stephen Strasburg's 1,723.
- Who had the better WHIP? Stephen Strasburg, with 1.10 to Cole Hamels's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Cole Hamels, with 2,698.0 to Stephen Strasburg's 1,470.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cole Hamels, with 7 to Stephen Strasburg's 2.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Stephen Strasburg, with 41,364 career Pitcher PIV to Cole Hamels's 32,591.
Cole Hamels
Stephen Strasburg
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 | Stephen Strasburg |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 163 | 113 |
| Losses not scored | 122 | 62 |
| Games | Leads: 423 | 247 |
| Games Started | Leads: 422 | 247 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 17 | 2 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 7 | 2 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,560 | 1,723 |
| Walks not scored | 767 | 394 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,424 | 1,217 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 310 | 149 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,698.0 | 1,470.0 |
| ERA | 3.43 | Leads: 3.24 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.10 |
| K/9 | 8.54 | Leads: 10.55 |
| BB/9 | 2.56 | Leads: 2.41 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Stephen Strasburg leads Cole Hamels 41,364 to 32,591 — driven by per-season impact — 3,182 PIV per season to 1,917 — rather than by longevity, since Stephen Strasburg 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)
Stephen Strasburg — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Stephen Strasburg leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Cole Hamels owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Stephen Strasburg. PIV agrees: Stephen Strasburg grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Cole Hamels and Stephen Strasburg careers compare
The careers of Cole Hamels (2006–2020) and Stephen Strasburg (2010–2022) overlapped from 2010 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 Stephen Strasburg's 247. Stephen Strasburg's edges on the table are ERA (3.24 to 3.43), WHIP (1.10 to 1.18), and strikeouts per nine (10.55 to 8.54). By rate, Cole Hamels struck out 8.54 and walked 2.56 per nine innings; Stephen Strasburg struck out 10.55 and walked 2.41. Cole Hamels was mainly a starter (422 starts in 423 games), and Stephen Strasburg was mainly a starter (247 starts in 247 games).
Cole Hamels vs Stephen Strasburg: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cole Hamels or Stephen Strasburg?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cole Hamels leads Stephen Strasburg in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Stephen Strasburg, with 3.24 to Cole Hamels's 3.43.
- Who won more games?
- Cole Hamels, with 163 to Stephen Strasburg's 113.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Cole Hamels, with 2,560 to Stephen Strasburg's 1,723.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Stephen Strasburg, with 1.10 to Cole Hamels's 1.18.