Felix Hernandez vs Brandon Webb: Career Stats Comparison
Felix Hernandez has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Brandon Webb played 2003–2009 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 Brandon Webb (2003–2009) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Felix Hernandez finished with 169 wins and 2,524 strikeouts; Brandon Webb finished with 87 wins and 1,065 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Brandon Webb, with 3.27 to Felix Hernandez's 3.42.
- Who won more games? Felix Hernandez, with 169 to Brandon Webb's 87.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Felix Hernandez, with 2,524 to Brandon Webb's 1,065.
- Who had the better WHIP? Felix Hernandez, with 1.21 to Brandon Webb's 1.24.
- Who pitched more innings? Felix Hernandez, with 2,729.2 to Brandon Webb's 1,319.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Felix Hernandez, with 11 to Brandon Webb's 8.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Felix Hernandez, with 44,530 career Pitcher PIV to Brandon Webb's 32,131.
Felix Hernandez
Brandon Webb
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 | Brandon Webb |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 169 | 87 |
| Losses not scored | 136 | 62 |
| Games | Leads: 419 | 199 |
| Games Started | Leads: 418 | 198 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 25 | 15 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 11 | 8 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,524 | 1,065 |
| Walks not scored | 805 | 435 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,487 | 1,200 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 264 | 92 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,729.2 | 1,319.2 |
| ERA | 3.42 | Leads: 3.27 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.21 | 1.24 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.32 | 7.26 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.65 | 2.97 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Felix Hernandez outpaces Brandon Webb 44,530 to 32,131 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Felix Hernandez played 15 seasons to Brandon Webb's 7, while Brandon Webb carries the higher per-season figure (4,590 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)
Brandon Webb — 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 Brandon Webb owns ERA. 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 Brandon Webb careers compare
The careers of Felix Hernandez (2005–2019) and Brandon Webb (2003–2009) overlapped from 2005 to 2009, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Felix Hernandez appeared in 419 games to Brandon Webb's 199. Where Brandon Webb comes out ahead, it is in ERA (3.27 to 3.42). By rate, Felix Hernandez struck out 8.32 and walked 2.65 per nine innings; Brandon Webb struck out 7.26 and walked 2.97. Felix Hernandez was mainly a starter (418 starts in 419 games), and Brandon Webb was mainly a starter (198 starts in 199 games).
Felix Hernandez vs Brandon Webb: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Felix Hernandez or Brandon Webb?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Felix Hernandez leads Brandon Webb in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Brandon Webb, with 3.27 to Felix Hernandez's 3.42.
- Who won more games?
- Felix Hernandez, with 169 to Brandon Webb's 87.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Felix Hernandez, with 2,524 to Brandon Webb's 1,065.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Felix Hernandez, with 1.21 to Brandon Webb's 1.24.