Felix Hernandez vs Roy Oswalt: Career Stats Comparison
Felix Hernandez has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Felix Hernandez played 2005–2019 as a pitcher; Roy Oswalt played 2001–2013 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
Felix Hernandez (2005–2019) and Roy Oswalt (2001–2013) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Felix Hernandez finished with 169 wins and 2,524 strikeouts; Roy Oswalt finished with 163 wins and 1,852 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Roy Oswalt, with 3.36 to Felix Hernandez's 3.42.
- Who won more games? Felix Hernandez, with 169 to Roy Oswalt's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Felix Hernandez, with 2,524 to Roy Oswalt's 1,852.
- Who had the better WHIP? Neither — both are at 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? Felix Hernandez, with 2,729.2 to Roy Oswalt's 2,245.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Felix Hernandez, with 11 to Roy Oswalt's 8.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roy Oswalt, with 55,095 career Pitcher PIV to Felix Hernandez's 44,530.
Felix Hernandez
Roy Oswalt
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Felix Hernandez | Roy Oswalt |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 169 | 163 |
| Losses not scored | 136 | 102 |
| Games | Leads: 419 | 365 |
| Games Started | Leads: 418 | 341 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 25 | 20 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 11 | 8 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,524 | 1,852 |
| Walks not scored | 805 | 520 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,487 | 2,199 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 264 | 197 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,729.2 | 2,245.1 |
| ERA | 3.42 | Leads: 3.36 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.21 | 1.21 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.32 | 7.42 |
| BB/9 | 2.65 | Leads: 2.08 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roy Oswalt leads Felix Hernandez 55,095 to 44,530 — driven by per-season impact — 3,935 PIV per season to 2,969 — rather than by longevity, since Roy Oswalt played 14 seasons to Felix Hernandez's 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).
Felix Hernandez — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Roy Oswalt — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Felix Hernandez leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Roy Oswalt owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Felix Hernandez. Note that PIV actually grades Roy Oswalt ahead, which means Felix Hernandez's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Felix Hernandez and Roy Oswalt careers compare
From 2005 through 2013, Felix Hernandez and Roy Oswalt were in the majors together. With 419 games against 365 across 15 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Roy Oswalt comes out ahead, it is in ERA (3.36 to 3.42) and walks per nine (2.08 to 2.65). The per-nine rows read 8.32 strikeouts and 2.65 walks for Felix Hernandez, 7.42 and 2.08 for Roy Oswalt. Felix Hernandez was mainly a starter (418 starts in 419 games), and Roy Oswalt was mainly a starter (341 starts in 365 games). Felix Hernandez allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.21 WHIP to Roy Oswalt's 1.21.
Felix Hernandez vs Roy Oswalt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Felix Hernandez or Roy Oswalt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Felix Hernandez leads Roy Oswalt in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Roy Oswalt, with 3.36 to Felix Hernandez's 3.42.
- Who won more games?
- Felix Hernandez, with 169 to Roy Oswalt's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Felix Hernandez, with 2,524 to Roy Oswalt's 1,852.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Neither — both are at 1.21.