Felix Hernandez vs Paul Skenes: Career Stats Comparison
Felix Hernandez 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). Felix Hernandez played 2005–2019 as a pitcher; Paul Skenes has played 2024–present 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 Paul Skenes (2024–present) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Felix Hernandez finished with 169 wins and 2,524 strikeouts; Paul Skenes has 31 wins and 586 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Felix Hernandez's 3.42.
- Who won more games? Felix Hernandez, with 169 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Felix Hernandez, with 2,524 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP? Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Felix Hernandez's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? Felix Hernandez, with 2,729.2 to Paul Skenes's 495.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Felix Hernandez, with 11 to Paul Skenes's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Felix Hernandez, with 44,530 career Pitcher PIV to Paul Skenes's 14,331.
Felix Hernandez
Paul Skenes
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 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Paul Skenes is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Felix Hernandez | Paul Skenes |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 169 | 31 |
| Losses not scored | 136 | 24 |
| Games | Leads: 419 | 87 |
| Games Started | Leads: 418 | 87 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 25 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 11 | 0 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,524 | 586 |
| Walks not scored | 805 | 123 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,487 | 376 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 264 | 41 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,729.2 | 495.0 |
| ERA | 3.42 | Leads: 2.62 |
| WHIP | 1.21 | Leads: 1.01 |
| K/9 | 8.32 | Leads: 10.65 |
| BB/9 | 2.65 | Leads: 2.24 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Felix Hernandez outpaces Paul Skenes 44,530 to 14,331 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Felix Hernandez played 15 seasons to Paul Skenes's 2, while Paul Skenes carries the higher per-season figure (7,166 to 2,969). 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)
Paul Skenes — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Felix Hernandez leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Paul Skenes owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. 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 Paul Skenes careers compare
No season is shared: Felix Hernandez played 2005–2019, Paul Skenes 2024–present. The table compares 419 games of Felix Hernandez with 87 of Paul Skenes across 15 and 2 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Paul Skenes are ERA (2.62 to 3.42), WHIP (1.01 to 1.21), and strikeouts per nine (10.65 to 8.32). By rate, Felix Hernandez struck out 8.32 and walked 2.65 per nine innings; Paul Skenes struck out 10.65 and walked 2.24. Both had the same role: Felix Hernandez was mainly a starter (418 starts in 419 games); Paul Skenes was mainly a starter (87 starts in 87 games). Paul Skenes's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Felix Hernandez vs Paul Skenes: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Felix Hernandez or Paul Skenes?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Felix Hernandez leads Paul Skenes in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Felix Hernandez's 3.42.
- Who won more games?
- Felix Hernandez, with 169 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Felix Hernandez, with 2,524 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Felix Hernandez's 1.21.