Kenley Jansen vs Bobby Shantz: 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; Bobby Shantz played 1949–1964 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 Bobby Shantz (1949–1964) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1940s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Kenley Jansen has 58 wins and 1,329 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Bobby Shantz finished with 119 wins and 1,072 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 Bobby Shantz's 3.38.
- Who won more games? Bobby Shantz, with 119 to Kenley Jansen's 58.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Kenley Jansen, with 1,329 to Bobby Shantz's 1,072.
- Who had the better WHIP? Kenley Jansen, with 0.97 to Bobby Shantz's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Bobby Shantz, with 1,935.2 to Kenley Jansen's 972.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bobby Shantz, with 15 to Kenley Jansen's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Kenley Jansen, with 34,863 career Pitcher PIV to Bobby Shantz's 24,845.
Kenley Jansen
Bobby Shantz
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 1940s 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 | Bobby Shantz |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 58 | Leads: 119 |
| Losses not scored | 46 | 99 |
| Games | Leads: 983 | 537 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 171 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 78 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 15 |
| Saves | Leads: 498 | 48 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,329 | 1,072 |
| Walks not scored | 305 | 643 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 634 | 1,795 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 95 | 151 |
| Innings Pitched | 972.1 | Leads: 1,935.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.60 | 3.38 |
| WHIP | Leads: 0.97 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | Leads: 12.30 | 4.98 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.82 | 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Kenley Jansen outpaces Bobby Shantz 34,863 to 24,845 — driven by per-season impact — 2,179 PIV per season to 1,308 — rather than by longevity, since Kenley Jansen played 16 seasons to Bobby Shantz's 19. 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.
Bobby Shantz — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Kenley Jansen leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Bobby Shantz owns wins and innings pitched. 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 Bobby Shantz careers compare
Bobby Shantz (1949–1964) was finished before Kenley Jansen (2010–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Kenley Jansen has appeared in 983 games to Bobby Shantz's 537. By rate, Kenley Jansen struck out 12.30 and walked 2.82 per nine innings; Bobby Shantz struck out 4.98 and walked 2.99. Kenley Jansen worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 983 games, 498 saves), while Bobby Shantz split time between starting and relief (171 starts in 537 games). The complete-game row, 0 against 78, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. In WHIP, Kenley Jansen's 0.97 beats Bobby Shantz's 1.26. Kenley Jansen's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Kenley Jansen vs Bobby Shantz: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Kenley Jansen or Bobby Shantz?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Kenley Jansen leads Bobby Shantz in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Kenley Jansen, with 2.60 to Bobby Shantz's 3.38.
- Who won more games?
- Bobby Shantz, with 119 to Kenley Jansen's 58.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Kenley Jansen, with 1,329 to Bobby Shantz's 1,072.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Kenley Jansen, with 0.97 to Bobby Shantz's 1.26.