Kenley Jansen vs Craig Kimbrel: Career Stats Comparison
Kenley Jansen has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 6 scored categories on this page (10 further counting totals are shown but not scored). 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 debuted in the 2010s. Kenley Jansen has 58 wins and 1,329 strikeouts through the 2026 season; Craig Kimbrel has 57 wins and 1,322 strikeouts through the 2026 season. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Kenley Jansen, in 5 of the 6 scored categories.
- Who had more saves? Kenley Jansen, with 498 to Craig Kimbrel's 441.
- Who had the better ERA? Kenley Jansen, with 2.60 to Craig Kimbrel's 2.69.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Kenley Jansen, with 1,329 to Craig Kimbrel's 1,322.
- Who had the better WHIP? Kenley Jansen, with 0.97 to Craig Kimbrel's 1.04.
- Who struck out more batters per nine innings? Craig Kimbrel, with 13.71 to Kenley Jansen's 12.30.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Kenley Jansen, with 34,551 career Pitcher PIV to Craig Kimbrel's 30,928.
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. 6 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 10 are shown but not scored. Both worked mainly in relief, so saves and strikeouts are scored and wins, complete games and shutouts are not. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | Kenley Jansen | Craig Kimbrel |
|---|---|---|
| Wins not scored | 58 | 57 |
| Losses not scored | 46 | 53 |
| Games not scored | 983 | 897 |
| Games Started not scored | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games not scored | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts not scored | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 498 | 441 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,329 | 1,322 |
| Walks not scored | 305 | 368 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 634 | 532 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 95 | 79 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 972.1 | 867.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.60 | 2.69 |
| WHIP | Leads: 0.97 | 1.04 |
| K/9 | 12.30 | Leads: 13.71 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.82 | 3.82 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Kenley Jansen leads Craig Kimbrel 34,551 to 30,928 — driven by per-season impact — 2,032 PIV per season to 1,819 — rather than by longevity, since Kenley Jansen played 17 seasons to Craig Kimbrel's 17. 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 (40+ innings).
Kenley Jansen — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Craig Kimbrel — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Kenley Jansen leads 5 of the 6 scored categories on the head-to-head card: saves, strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and others. Craig Kimbrel leads 1: strikeouts per nine. Both are scored as relievers. 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 Kenley Jansen and Craig Kimbrel careers compare
Kenley Jansen and Craig Kimbrel are both active, and their careers have run side by side since 2010. With 983 games against 897 across 17 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Craig Kimbrel are strikeouts per nine (13.71 to 12.30). The per-nine rows read 12.30 strikeouts and 2.82 walks for Kenley Jansen, 13.71 and 3.82 for Craig Kimbrel. Kenley Jansen worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 983 games, 498 saves), and Craig Kimbrel worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 897 games, 441 saves). Kenley Jansen allowed fewer baserunners, a 0.97 WHIP to Craig Kimbrel's 1.04. Kenley Jansen and Craig Kimbrel's totals run through the 2026 season.
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 5 of the 6 scored categories.
- Who had more saves?
- Kenley Jansen, with 498 to Craig Kimbrel's 441.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Kenley Jansen, with 2.60 to Craig Kimbrel's 2.69.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Kenley Jansen, with 1,329 to Craig Kimbrel's 1,322.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Kenley Jansen, with 0.97 to Craig Kimbrel's 1.04.