Kenley Jansen vs Jonathan Papelbon: Career Stats Comparison
Kenley Jansen has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Jonathan Papelbon played 2005–2016 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 Jonathan Papelbon (2005–2016) — 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 12, 2026; Jonathan Papelbon finished with 41 wins and 808 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Jonathan Papelbon, with 2.44 to Kenley Jansen's 2.60.
- Who won more games? Kenley Jansen, with 58 to Jonathan Papelbon's 41.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Kenley Jansen, with 1,329 to Jonathan Papelbon's 808.
- Who had the better WHIP? Kenley Jansen, with 0.97 to Jonathan Papelbon's 1.04.
- Who pitched more innings? Kenley Jansen, with 972.1 to Jonathan Papelbon's 725.2.
- 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 Jonathan Papelbon's 24,416.
Kenley Jansen
Jonathan Papelbon
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 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Kenley Jansen | Jonathan Papelbon |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 58 | 41 |
| Losses not scored | 46 | 36 |
| Games | Leads: 983 | 689 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 3 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 498 | 368 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,329 | 808 |
| Walks not scored | 305 | 185 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 634 | 572 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 95 | 57 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 972.1 | 725.2 |
| ERA | 2.60 | Leads: 2.44 |
| WHIP | Leads: 0.97 | 1.04 |
| K/9 | Leads: 12.30 | 10.02 |
| BB/9 | 2.82 | Leads: 2.29 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Kenley Jansen outpaces Jonathan Papelbon 34,863 to 24,416 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,179 PIV per season to 1,878, across 16 seasons to 13. 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.
Jonathan Papelbon
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, WHIP, and K/9, while Jonathan Papelbon owns ERA. 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 Jonathan Papelbon careers compare
The careers of Kenley Jansen (2010–present) and Jonathan Papelbon (2005–2016) overlapped from 2010 to 2016, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 983 games for Kenley Jansen and 689 for Jonathan Papelbon across 16 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Jonathan Papelbon are starts (3 to 0), ERA (2.44 to 2.60), and walks per nine (2.29 to 2.82). By rate, Kenley Jansen struck out 12.30 and walked 2.82 per nine innings; Jonathan Papelbon struck out 10.02 and walked 2.29. Because Kenley Jansen is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Kenley Jansen vs Jonathan Papelbon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Kenley Jansen or Jonathan Papelbon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Kenley Jansen leads Jonathan Papelbon in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 2.44 to Kenley Jansen's 2.60.
- Who won more games?
- Kenley Jansen, with 58 to Jonathan Papelbon's 41.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Kenley Jansen, with 1,329 to Jonathan Papelbon's 808.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Kenley Jansen, with 0.97 to Jonathan Papelbon's 1.04.