Kenley Jansen vs Mark Melancon: Career Stats Comparison
Kenley Jansen has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Kenley Jansen has played 2010–present as a pitcher; Mark Melancon played 2009–2022 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 Mark Melancon (2009–2022) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Kenley Jansen has 58 wins and 1,329 strikeouts through October 6, 2026; Mark Melancon finished with 37 wins and 643 strikeouts. 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 Mark Melancon's 2.94.
- Who won more games? Kenley Jansen, with 58 to Mark Melancon's 37.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Kenley Jansen, with 1,329 to Mark Melancon's 643.
- Who had the better WHIP? Kenley Jansen, with 0.97 to Mark Melancon's 1.17.
- Who pitched more innings? Kenley Jansen, with 972.1 to Mark Melancon's 726.2.
- 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 Mark Melancon's 19,354.
Kenley Jansen
Mark Melancon
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 2010s and the 2000s 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 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Kenley Jansen | Mark Melancon |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 58 | 37 |
| Losses not scored | 46 | 40 |
| Games | Leads: 983 | 732 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 498 | 262 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,329 | 643 |
| Walks not scored | 305 | 192 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 634 | 657 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 95 | 44 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 972.1 | 726.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.60 | 2.94 |
| WHIP | Leads: 0.97 | 1.17 |
| K/9 | Leads: 12.30 | 7.96 |
| BB/9 | 2.82 | Leads: 2.38 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Kenley Jansen outpaces Mark Melancon 34,863 to 19,354 — driven by per-season impact — 2,179 PIV per season to 1,138 — rather than by longevity, since Kenley Jansen played 16 seasons to Mark Melancon's 17. 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).
Kenley Jansen
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Mark Melancon
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 wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Mark Melancon owns no headline categories. 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 Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon careers compare
From 2010 through 2022, Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 983 games for Kenley Jansen and 732 for Mark Melancon across 16 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Mark Melancon are walks per nine (2.38 to 2.82). The per-nine rows read 12.30 strikeouts and 2.82 walks for Kenley Jansen, 7.96 and 2.38 for Mark Melancon. Both had the same role: Kenley Jansen worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 983 games, 498 saves); Mark Melancon worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 732 games, 262 saves). Kenley Jansen's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Kenley Jansen vs Mark Melancon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Kenley Jansen or Mark Melancon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Kenley Jansen leads Mark Melancon in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Kenley Jansen, with 2.60 to Mark Melancon's 2.94.
- Who won more games?
- Kenley Jansen, with 58 to Mark Melancon's 37.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Kenley Jansen, with 1,329 to Mark Melancon's 643.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Kenley Jansen, with 0.97 to Mark Melancon's 1.17.