Jim Kaat vs Blake Snell: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Kaat has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jim Kaat played 1959–1983 as a pitcher; Blake Snell has played 2016–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
Jim Kaat (1959–1983) and Blake Snell (2016–present) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jim Kaat finished with 283 wins and 2,461 strikeouts; Blake Snell has 85 wins and 1,495 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Blake Snell, with 3.10 to Jim Kaat's 3.45.
- Who won more games? Jim Kaat, with 283 to Blake Snell's 85.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Kaat, with 2,461 to Blake Snell's 1,495.
- Who had the better WHIP? Blake Snell, with 1.22 to Jim Kaat's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Kaat, with 4,530.1 to Blake Snell's 1,200.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Kaat, with 31 to Blake Snell's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Blake Snell, with 27,494 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Kaat's 26,792.
Jim Kaat
Blake Snell
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 1950s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Blake Snell is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Jim Kaat | Blake Snell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 283 | 85 |
| Losses not scored | 237 | 63 |
| Games | Leads: 898 | 231 |
| Games Started | Leads: 625 | 231 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 180 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 31 | 1 |
| Saves | Leads: 18 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,461 | 1,495 |
| Walks not scored | 1,083 | 537 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,620 | 922 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 395 | 111 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,530.1 | 1,200.2 |
| ERA | 3.45 | Leads: 3.10 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.22 |
| K/9 | 4.89 | Leads: 11.21 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.15 | 4.03 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Blake Snell edges Jim Kaat 27,494 to 26,792 — driven by per-season impact — 2,749 PIV per season to 957 — rather than by longevity, since Blake Snell played 10 seasons to Jim Kaat's 28. 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).
Jim Kaat — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Blake Snell — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Blake Snell leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Jim Kaat owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Blake Snell. PIV agrees: Blake Snell grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jim Kaat and Blake Snell careers compare
Jim Kaat (1959–1983) was finished before Blake Snell (2016–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Jim Kaat appeared in 898 games to Blake Snell's 231. The green cells for Blake Snell are ERA (3.10 to 3.45), WHIP (1.22 to 1.26), and strikeouts per nine (11.21 to 4.89). The per-nine rows read 4.89 strikeouts and 2.15 walks for Jim Kaat, 11.21 and 4.03 for Blake Snell. Jim Kaat split time between starting and relief (625 starts in 898 games), while Blake Snell was mainly a starter (231 starts in 231 games). Because Blake Snell is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Jim Kaat vs Blake Snell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Kaat or Blake Snell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Kaat leads Blake Snell in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Blake Snell, with 3.10 to Jim Kaat's 3.45.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Kaat, with 283 to Blake Snell's 85.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Kaat, with 2,461 to Blake Snell's 1,495.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Blake Snell, with 1.22 to Jim Kaat's 1.26.