Craig Kimbrel vs Mark Melancon: Career Stats Comparison
Craig Kimbrel 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). Craig Kimbrel 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
Craig Kimbrel (2010–present) and Mark Melancon (2009–2022) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Craig Kimbrel has 57 wins and 1,322 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? Craig Kimbrel, with 2.69 to Mark Melancon's 2.94.
- Who won more games? Craig Kimbrel, with 57 to Mark Melancon's 37.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Craig Kimbrel, with 1,322 to Mark Melancon's 643.
- Who had the better WHIP? Craig Kimbrel, with 1.04 to Mark Melancon's 1.17.
- Who pitched more innings? Craig Kimbrel, with 867.2 to Mark Melancon's 726.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Craig Kimbrel, with 30,862 career Pitcher PIV to Mark Melancon's 19,354.
Craig Kimbrel
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.
Craig Kimbrel is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Craig Kimbrel | Mark Melancon |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 57 | 37 |
| Losses not scored | 53 | 40 |
| Games | Leads: 897 | 732 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 441 | 262 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,322 | 643 |
| Walks not scored | 368 | 192 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 532 | 657 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 79 | 44 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 867.2 | 726.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.69 | 2.94 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.04 | 1.17 |
| K/9 | Leads: 13.71 | 7.96 |
| BB/9 | 3.82 | Leads: 2.38 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Craig Kimbrel outpaces Mark Melancon 30,862 to 19,354 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,715 PIV per season to 1,138, across 18 seasons to 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).
Craig Kimbrel
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, Craig Kimbrel 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 Craig Kimbrel. PIV agrees: Craig Kimbrel grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Craig Kimbrel and Mark Melancon careers compare
The careers of Craig Kimbrel (2010–present) and Mark Melancon (2009–2022) overlapped from 2010 to 2022, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 897 games against 732 across 18 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Mark Melancon's edges on the table are walks per nine (2.38 to 3.82). The per-nine rows read 13.71 strikeouts and 3.82 walks for Craig Kimbrel, 7.96 and 2.38 for Mark Melancon. Both had the same role: Craig Kimbrel worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 897 games, 441 saves); Mark Melancon worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 732 games, 262 saves). Because Craig Kimbrel is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Craig Kimbrel vs Mark Melancon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Craig Kimbrel or Mark Melancon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Craig Kimbrel leads Mark Melancon in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 2.69 to Mark Melancon's 2.94.
- Who won more games?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 57 to Mark Melancon's 37.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 1,322 to Mark Melancon's 643.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 1.04 to Mark Melancon's 1.17.