Jim Kern vs Jeff Reardon: Career Stats Comparison
Jeff Reardon 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). Jim Kern played 1974–1986 as a pitcher; Jeff Reardon played 1979–1994 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 Kern (1974–1986) and Jeff Reardon (1979–1994) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jim Kern finished with 53 wins and 651 strikeouts; Jeff Reardon finished with 73 wins and 877 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Jeff Reardon, with 3.16 to Jim Kern's 3.32.
- Who won more games? Jeff Reardon, with 73 to Jim Kern's 53.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jeff Reardon, with 877 to Jim Kern's 651.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jeff Reardon, with 1.20 to Jim Kern's 1.40.
- Who pitched more innings? Jeff Reardon, with 1,132.1 to Jim Kern's 793.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jeff Reardon, with 11,952 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Kern's 8,160.
Jeff Reardon
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jim Kern | Jeff Reardon |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 53 | Leads: 73 |
| Losses not scored | 57 | 77 |
| Games | 416 | Leads: 880 |
| Games Started | Leads: 14 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 88 | Leads: 367 |
| Strikeouts | 651 | Leads: 877 |
| Walks not scored | 444 | 358 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 670 | 1,000 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 35 | 109 |
| Innings Pitched | 793.1 | Leads: 1,132.1 |
| ERA | 3.32 | Leads: 3.16 |
| WHIP | 1.40 | Leads: 1.20 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.39 | 6.97 |
| BB/9 | 5.04 | Leads: 2.85 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jeff Reardon outpaces Jim Kern 11,952 to 8,160 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 664 PIV per season to 544, across 18 seasons to 15. 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 Kern — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
Jeff Reardon
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jeff Reardon leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Jim Kern owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jeff Reardon. PIV agrees: Jeff Reardon grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jim Kern and Jeff Reardon careers compare
The careers of Jim Kern (1974–1986) and Jeff Reardon (1979–1994) overlapped from 1979 to 1986, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Jim Kern appeared in 416 games to Jeff Reardon's 880. The green cells for Jim Kern are starts (14 to 0), complete games (1 to 0), and strikeouts per nine (7.39 to 6.97). The per-nine rows read 7.39 strikeouts and 5.04 walks for Jim Kern, 6.97 and 2.85 for Jeff Reardon.
Jim Kern vs Jeff Reardon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Kern or Jeff Reardon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jeff Reardon leads Jim Kern in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jeff Reardon, with 3.16 to Jim Kern's 3.32.
- Who won more games?
- Jeff Reardon, with 73 to Jim Kern's 53.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jeff Reardon, with 877 to Jim Kern's 651.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jeff Reardon, with 1.20 to Jim Kern's 1.40.