Trevor Hoffman vs Craig Kimbrel: Career Stats Comparison
Trevor Hoffman has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Trevor Hoffman played 1993–2010 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
Trevor Hoffman (1993–2010) and Craig Kimbrel (2010–present) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Trevor Hoffman finished with 61 wins and 1,133 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 Trevor Hoffman's 2.87.
- Who won more games? Trevor Hoffman, with 61 to Craig Kimbrel's 57.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Craig Kimbrel, with 1,322 to Trevor Hoffman's 1,133.
- Who had the better WHIP? Craig Kimbrel, with 1.04 to Trevor Hoffman's 1.06.
- Who pitched more innings? Trevor Hoffman, with 1,089.1 to Craig Kimbrel's 867.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Trevor Hoffman, with 37,065 career Pitcher PIV to Craig Kimbrel's 30,862.
Trevor Hoffman
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 1990s 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 | Trevor Hoffman | Craig Kimbrel |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 61 | 57 |
| Losses not scored | 75 | 53 |
| Games | Leads: 1,035 | 897 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 601 | 441 |
| Strikeouts | 1,133 | Leads: 1,322 |
| Walks not scored | 307 | 368 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 846 | 532 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 100 | 79 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,089.1 | 867.2 |
| ERA | 2.87 | Leads: 2.69 |
| WHIP | 1.06 | Leads: 1.04 |
| K/9 | 9.36 | Leads: 13.71 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.54 | 3.82 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Trevor Hoffman leads Craig Kimbrel 37,065 to 30,862 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,951 PIV per season to 1,715, across 19 seasons to 18. 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).
Trevor Hoffman
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
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 Trevor Hoffman owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Craig Kimbrel. Note that PIV actually grades Trevor Hoffman ahead, which means Craig Kimbrel's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Trevor Hoffman and Craig Kimbrel careers compare
From 2010 through 2010, Trevor Hoffman and Craig Kimbrel were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,035 games for Trevor Hoffman and 897 for Craig Kimbrel across 19 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Craig Kimbrel comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts (1,322 to 1,133), ERA (2.69 to 2.87), and WHIP (1.04 to 1.06). The per-nine rows read 9.36 strikeouts and 2.54 walks for Trevor Hoffman, 13.71 and 3.82 for Craig Kimbrel. Trevor Hoffman worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 1,035 games, 601 saves), and Craig Kimbrel worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 897 games, 441 saves). Craig Kimbrel's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Trevor Hoffman vs Craig Kimbrel: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Trevor Hoffman or Craig Kimbrel?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Trevor Hoffman leads Craig Kimbrel in 5 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 2.69 to Trevor Hoffman's 2.87.
- Who won more games?
- Trevor Hoffman, with 61 to Craig Kimbrel's 57.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 1,322 to Trevor Hoffman's 1,133.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 1.04 to Trevor Hoffman's 1.06.