Liam Hendriks vs Mark Melancon: Career Stats Comparison
Mark Melancon has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Liam Hendriks played 2011–2025 as a pitcher; Mark Melancon played 2009–2022 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
Liam Hendriks (2011–2025) and Mark Melancon (2009–2022) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Liam Hendriks finished with 33 wins and 739 strikeouts; Mark Melancon finished with 37 wins and 643 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Mark Melancon, with 2.94 to Liam Hendriks's 3.88.
- Who won more games? Mark Melancon, with 37 to Liam Hendriks's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Liam Hendriks, with 739 to Mark Melancon's 643.
- Who had the better WHIP? Mark Melancon, with 1.17 to Liam Hendriks's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Mark Melancon, with 726.2 to Liam Hendriks's 663.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Mark Melancon, with 19,354 career Pitcher PIV to Liam Hendriks's 14,422.
Liam Hendriks
Mark Melancon
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.
| Statistic | Liam Hendriks | Mark Melancon |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 33 | Leads: 37 |
| Losses not scored | 36 | 40 |
| Games | 490 | Leads: 732 |
| Games Started | Leads: 44 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 116 | Leads: 262 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 739 | 643 |
| Walks not scored | 166 | 192 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 630 | 657 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 79 | 44 |
| Innings Pitched | 663.2 | Leads: 726.2 |
| ERA | 3.88 | Leads: 2.94 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.17 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.02 | 7.96 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.25 | 2.38 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mark Melancon outpaces Liam Hendriks 19,354 to 14,422 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,138 PIV per season to 961, across 17 seasons to 15. 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).
Liam Hendriks
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Mark Melancon
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mark Melancon leads in wins, ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Liam Hendriks owns strikeouts and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mark Melancon. PIV agrees: Mark Melancon grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Liam Hendriks and Mark Melancon careers compare
The careers of Liam Hendriks (2011–2025) and Mark Melancon (2009–2022) overlapped from 2011 to 2022, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 490 games for Liam Hendriks and 732 for Mark Melancon across 15 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 10.02 strikeouts and 2.25 walks for Liam Hendriks, 7.96 and 2.38 for Mark Melancon. Liam Hendriks worked mostly in relief (44 starts in 490 games, 116 saves), and Mark Melancon worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 732 games, 262 saves). In WHIP, Mark Melancon's 1.17 beats Liam Hendriks's 1.20.
Liam Hendriks vs Mark Melancon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Liam Hendriks or Mark Melancon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mark Melancon leads Liam Hendriks in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Mark Melancon, with 2.94 to Liam Hendriks's 3.88.
- Who won more games?
- Mark Melancon, with 37 to Liam Hendriks's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Liam Hendriks, with 739 to Mark Melancon's 643.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Mark Melancon, with 1.17 to Liam Hendriks's 1.20.