Felix Hernandez vs Stephen Strasburg: Career Stats Comparison
Felix Hernandez and Stephen Strasburg are close to even, splitting the 8 scored categories on this page 4–4 (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Felix Hernandez played 2005–2019 as a pitcher; Stephen Strasburg played 2010–2022 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
Felix Hernandez (2005–2019) and Stephen Strasburg (2010–2022) — they debuted in the 2000s and the 2010s respectively and share 10 seasons. Felix Hernandez finished with 169 wins and 2,524 strikeouts; Stephen Strasburg finished with 113 wins and 1,723 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Neither — they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA? Stephen Strasburg, with 3.24 to Felix Hernandez's 3.42.
- Who won more games? Felix Hernandez, with 169 to Stephen Strasburg's 113.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Felix Hernandez, with 2,524 to Stephen Strasburg's 1,723.
- Who had the better WHIP? Stephen Strasburg, with 1.10 to Felix Hernandez's 1.21.
- How many innings did each pitch? Felix Hernandez 2,729.2, Stephen Strasburg 1,470.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Felix Hernandez, with 11 to Stephen Strasburg's 2.
Felix Hernandez
Stephen Strasburg
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | Stephen Strasburg |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 169 | 113 |
| Losses not scored | 136 | 62 |
| Games not scored | 419 | 247 |
| Games Started not scored | 418 | 247 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 25 | 2 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 11 | 2 |
| Saves not scored | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,524 | 1,723 |
| Walks not scored | 805 | 394 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,487 | 1,217 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 264 | 149 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,729.2 | 1,470.0 |
| ERA | 3.42 | Leads: 3.24 |
| WHIP | 1.21 | Leads: 1.10 |
| K/9 | 8.32 | Leads: 10.55 |
| BB/9 | 2.65 | Leads: 2.41 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Felix Hernandez edges Stephen Strasburg 44,530 to 41,364 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Felix Hernandez played 15 seasons to Stephen Strasburg's 13, while Stephen Strasburg carries the higher per-season figure (3,182 to 2,969). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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)
Stephen Strasburg — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Felix Hernandez and Stephen Strasburg split the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card 4-4. On the raw scoreboard neither has the edge. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Felix Hernandez higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Felix Hernandez and Stephen Strasburg careers compare
The careers of Felix Hernandez (2005–2019) and Stephen Strasburg (2010–2022) overlapped from 2010 to 2019, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Felix Hernandez has the far longer record, 419 games against 247 across 15 and 13 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Stephen Strasburg's edges on the table are ERA (3.24 to 3.42), WHIP (1.10 to 1.21), and strikeouts per nine (10.55 to 8.32). The per-nine rows read 8.32 strikeouts and 2.65 walks for Felix Hernandez, 10.55 and 2.41 for Stephen Strasburg. Both had the same role: Felix Hernandez was mainly a starter (418 starts in 419 games); Stephen Strasburg was mainly a starter (247 starts in 247 games).
Felix Hernandez vs Stephen Strasburg: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Felix Hernandez or Stephen Strasburg?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, neither leads: they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Stephen Strasburg, with 3.24 to Felix Hernandez's 3.42.
- Who won more games?
- Felix Hernandez, with 169 to Stephen Strasburg's 113.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Felix Hernandez, with 2,524 to Stephen Strasburg's 1,723.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Stephen Strasburg, with 1.10 to Felix Hernandez's 1.21.