Willie Hernandez vs Kenley Jansen: Career Stats Comparison
Kenley Jansen 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). Willie Hernandez played 1977–1989 as a pitcher; Kenley Jansen has played 2010–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
Willie Hernandez (1977–1989) and Kenley Jansen (2010–present) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Willie Hernandez finished with 70 wins and 788 strikeouts; Kenley Jansen has 58 wins and 1,329 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Kenley Jansen, with 2.60 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games? Willie Hernandez, with 70 to Kenley Jansen's 58.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Kenley Jansen, with 1,329 to Willie Hernandez's 788.
- Who had the better WHIP? Kenley Jansen, with 0.97 to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Willie Hernandez, with 1,044.2 to Kenley Jansen's 972.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Kenley Jansen, with 34,863 career Pitcher PIV to Willie Hernandez's 10,045.
Willie Hernandez
Kenley Jansen
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 1970s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Kenley Jansen is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Willie Hernandez | Kenley Jansen |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 70 | 58 |
| Losses not scored | 63 | 46 |
| Games | 744 | Leads: 983 |
| Games Started | Leads: 11 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 147 | Leads: 498 |
| Strikeouts | 788 | Leads: 1,329 |
| Walks not scored | 349 | 305 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 952 | 634 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 95 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,044.2 | 972.1 |
| ERA | 3.38 | Leads: 2.60 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | Leads: 0.97 |
| K/9 | 6.79 | Leads: 12.30 |
| BB/9 | 3.01 | Leads: 2.82 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Kenley Jansen outpaces Willie Hernandez 34,863 to 10,045 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,179 PIV per season to 718, across 16 seasons to 14. 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).
Willie Hernandez — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
Kenley Jansen
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Kenley Jansen leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Willie Hernandez owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Kenley Jansen. PIV agrees: Kenley Jansen grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Willie Hernandez and Kenley Jansen careers compare
Willie Hernandez (1977–1989) was finished before Kenley Jansen (2010–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 744 games for Willie Hernandez and 983 for Kenley Jansen across 14 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Willie Hernandez's edges on the table are wins (70 to 58), starts (11 to 0), and innings (1,044.2 to 972.1). By rate, Willie Hernandez struck out 6.79 and walked 3.01 per nine innings; Kenley Jansen struck out 12.30 and walked 2.82. Because Kenley Jansen is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Willie Hernandez vs Kenley Jansen: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Hernandez or Kenley Jansen?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Kenley Jansen leads Willie Hernandez in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Kenley Jansen, with 2.60 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games?
- Willie Hernandez, with 70 to Kenley Jansen's 58.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Kenley Jansen, with 1,329 to Willie Hernandez's 788.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Kenley Jansen, with 0.97 to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.