Cole Hamels vs Javier Vazquez: Career Stats Comparison

Cole Hamels (2006–2020) and Javier Vazquez (1998–2011) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Cole Hamels compiled 163 wins and 2,560 strikeouts; Javier Vazquez put up 165 wins and 2,536 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Cole Hamels

Pitcher · 2006–2020
Wins
163
Losses
122
Strikeouts
2,560
ERA
3.43
WHIP
1.18
IP
2,698
View Cole Hamels's full profile →

Javier Vazquez

Pitcher · 1998–2011
Wins
165
Losses
160
Strikeouts
2,536
ERA
4.22
WHIP
1.25
IP
2,840
View Javier Vazquez's full profile →

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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.

Statistic Cole Hamels Javier Vazquez
Wins 163 165
Losses 122 160
Games 423 450
Games Started 422 443
Complete Games 17 28
Shutouts 7 8
Saves 0 0
Strikeouts 2,560 2,536
Walks 767 763
Hits Allowed 2,424 2,784
Home Runs Allowed 310 373
Innings Pitched 2,698 2,840
ERA 3.43 4.22
WHIP 1.18 1.25
K/9 8.54 8.04
BB/9 2.56 2.42

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Javier Vazquez leads Cole Hamels 36,249 to 32,591 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,589 vs 1,917 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Cole Hamels
32,591
Career Pitcher PIV · 1,917 per season (17 seasons)
Javier Vazquez
36,249
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,589 per season (14 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

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)

20142.46 ERA9-9, 198 K in 204 IP
20112.79 ERA14-9, 194 K in 216 IP
20123.05 ERA17-6, 216 K in 215 IP

Javier Vazquez — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20092.87 ERA15-10, 238 K in 219 IP
20033.24 ERA13-12, 241 K in 230 IP
20013.42 ERA16-11, 208 K in 223 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Cole Hamels leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Javier Vazquez owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Cole Hamels. Note that PIV actually grades Javier Vazquez ahead, which means Cole Hamels's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

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