Willie Hernandez vs Craig Kimbrel: Career Stats Comparison
Craig Kimbrel has the better career line of the two, leading 6 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; Craig Kimbrel 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 Craig Kimbrel (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; Craig Kimbrel has 57 wins and 1,322 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Craig Kimbrel, with 2.69 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games? Willie Hernandez, with 70 to Craig Kimbrel's 57.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Craig Kimbrel, with 1,322 to Willie Hernandez's 788.
- Who had the better WHIP? Craig Kimbrel, with 1.04 to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Willie Hernandez, with 1,044.2 to Craig Kimbrel's 867.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Craig Kimbrel, with 30,862 career Pitcher PIV to Willie Hernandez's 10,045.
Willie Hernandez
Craig Kimbrel
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.
Craig Kimbrel is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Willie Hernandez | Craig Kimbrel |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 70 | 57 |
| Losses not scored | 63 | 53 |
| Games | 744 | Leads: 897 |
| Games Started | Leads: 11 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 147 | Leads: 441 |
| Strikeouts | 788 | Leads: 1,322 |
| Walks not scored | 349 | 368 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 952 | 532 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 79 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,044.2 | 867.2 |
| ERA | 3.38 | Leads: 2.69 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | Leads: 1.04 |
| K/9 | 6.79 | Leads: 13.71 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.01 | 3.82 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Craig Kimbrel outpaces Willie Hernandez 30,862 to 10,045 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,715 PIV per season to 718, across 18 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)
Craig Kimbrel
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Craig Kimbrel 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 Craig Kimbrel. PIV agrees: Craig Kimbrel 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 Craig Kimbrel careers compare
Willie Hernandez (1977–1989) was finished before Craig Kimbrel (2010–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 744 games against 897 across 14 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Willie Hernandez comes out ahead, it is in wins (70 to 57), starts (11 to 0), and innings (1,044.2 to 867.2). The per-nine rows read 6.79 strikeouts and 3.01 walks for Willie Hernandez, 13.71 and 3.82 for Craig Kimbrel. Willie Hernandez worked mostly in relief (11 starts in 744 games, 147 saves), and Craig Kimbrel worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 897 games, 441 saves). In WHIP, Craig Kimbrel's 1.04 beats Willie Hernandez's 1.25. Craig Kimbrel's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Willie Hernandez vs Craig Kimbrel: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Hernandez or Craig Kimbrel?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Craig Kimbrel leads Willie Hernandez in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 2.69 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games?
- Willie Hernandez, with 70 to Craig Kimbrel's 57.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 1,322 to Willie Hernandez's 788.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 1.04 to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.