Kenley Jansen vs Craig Kimbrel: Career Stats Comparison
Kenley Jansen has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 9 statistical categories compared on this page. Kenley Jansen has played 2010–present 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
Kenley Jansen (2010–present) and Craig Kimbrel (2010–present) — both came up during the 2010s, so the matchup is a direct one. Kenley Jansen compiled 54 wins and 1,278 strikeouts; Craig Kimbrel put up 56 wins and 1,282 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Kenley Jansen, with 2.57 to Craig Kimbrel's 2.58.
- Who won more games? Craig Kimbrel, with 56 to Kenley Jansen's 54.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Craig Kimbrel, with 1,282 to Kenley Jansen's 1,278.
- Who had the better WHIP? Kenley Jansen, with 0.96 to Craig Kimbrel's 1.02.
- Who pitched more innings? Kenley Jansen, with 927 to Craig Kimbrel's 821.
- 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 Craig Kimbrel's 30,862.
Kenley Jansen
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. 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: compare them with the era in mind, or use the PIV card below, which is.
| Statistic | Kenley Jansen | Craig Kimbrel |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 54 | Leads: 56 |
| Losses | 40 | 48 |
| Games | Leads: 933 | 851 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 476 | 440 |
| Strikeouts | 1,278 | Leads: 1,282 |
| Walks | 282 | 346 |
| Hits Allowed | 610 | 492 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 88 | 75 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 927 | 821 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.57 | 2.58 |
| WHIP | Leads: 0.96 | 1.02 |
| K/9 | 12.40 | Leads: 14.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.74 | 3.79 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Kenley Jansen leads Craig Kimbrel 34,863 to 30,862 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,179 vs 1,715 per year). 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).
Kenley Jansen
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, Kenley Jansen leads in ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Craig Kimbrel owns wins, strikeouts, and K/9. 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
Kenley Jansen vs Craig Kimbrel: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Kenley Jansen or Craig Kimbrel?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Kenley Jansen leads Craig Kimbrel in 6 of 9 categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Kenley Jansen, with 2.57 to Craig Kimbrel's 2.58.
- Who won more games?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 56 to Kenley Jansen's 54.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 1,282 to Kenley Jansen's 1,278.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Kenley Jansen, with 0.96 to Craig Kimbrel's 1.02.