Felix Hernandez vs Jason Schmidt: Career Stats Comparison
Felix Hernandez has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Jason Schmidt played 1995–2009 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 Jason Schmidt (1995–2009) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Felix Hernandez finished with 169 wins and 2,524 strikeouts; Jason Schmidt finished with 130 wins and 1,758 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Felix Hernandez, with 3.42 to Jason Schmidt's 3.96.
- Who won more games? Felix Hernandez, with 169 to Jason Schmidt's 130.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Felix Hernandez, with 2,524 to Jason Schmidt's 1,758.
- Who had the better WHIP? Felix Hernandez, with 1.21 to Jason Schmidt's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Felix Hernandez, with 2,729.2 to Jason Schmidt's 1,996.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Felix Hernandez, with 11 to Jason Schmidt's 9.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Felix Hernandez, with 44,530 career Pitcher PIV to Jason Schmidt's 34,873.
Felix Hernandez
Jason Schmidt
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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Felix Hernandez | Jason Schmidt |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 169 | 130 |
| Losses not scored | 136 | 96 |
| Games | Leads: 419 | 323 |
| Games Started | Leads: 418 | 314 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 25 | 20 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 11 | 9 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,524 | 1,758 |
| Walks not scored | 805 | 792 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,487 | 1,846 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 264 | 184 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,729.2 | 1,996.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.42 | 3.96 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.21 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.32 | 7.93 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.65 | 3.57 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Felix Hernandez leads Jason Schmidt 44,530 to 34,873 — driven by per-season impact — 2,969 PIV per season to 2,180 — rather than by longevity, since Felix Hernandez played 15 seasons to Jason Schmidt's 16. 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)
Jason Schmidt — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Felix Hernandez leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Jason Schmidt owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Felix Hernandez. PIV agrees: Felix Hernandez grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Felix Hernandez and Jason Schmidt careers compare
Felix Hernandez and Jason Schmidt were active at the same time between 2005 and 2009. The two careers are close in length, 419 games for Felix Hernandez and 323 for Jason Schmidt across 15 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Every scored category on the table goes to Felix Hernandez. By rate, Felix Hernandez struck out 8.32 and walked 2.65 per nine innings; Jason Schmidt struck out 7.93 and walked 3.57. Both had the same role: Felix Hernandez was mainly a starter (418 starts in 419 games); Jason Schmidt was mainly a starter (314 starts in 323 games).
Felix Hernandez vs Jason Schmidt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Felix Hernandez or Jason Schmidt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Felix Hernandez leads Jason Schmidt in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Felix Hernandez, with 3.42 to Jason Schmidt's 3.96.
- Who won more games?
- Felix Hernandez, with 169 to Jason Schmidt's 130.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Felix Hernandez, with 2,524 to Jason Schmidt's 1,758.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Felix Hernandez, with 1.21 to Jason Schmidt's 1.32.