Craig Kimbrel vs Joe Nathan: Career Stats Comparison
Craig Kimbrel has the better career line of the two, leading 6 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; Joe Nathan played 1999–2016 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
Craig Kimbrel (2010–present) and Joe Nathan (1999–2016) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Craig Kimbrel has 57 wins and 1,322 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Joe Nathan finished with 64 wins and 976 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 Joe Nathan's 2.87.
- Who won more games? Joe Nathan, with 64 to Craig Kimbrel's 57.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Craig Kimbrel, with 1,322 to Joe Nathan's 976.
- Who had the better WHIP? Craig Kimbrel, with 1.04 to Joe Nathan's 1.12.
- Who pitched more innings? Joe Nathan, with 923.1 to Craig Kimbrel's 867.2.
- 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 Joe Nathan's 22,319.
Craig Kimbrel
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 1990s 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 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Craig Kimbrel | Joe Nathan |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 57 | Leads: 64 |
| Losses not scored | 53 | 34 |
| Games | Leads: 897 | 787 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 29 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 441 | 377 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,322 | 976 |
| Walks not scored | 368 | 344 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 532 | 690 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 79 | 84 |
| Innings Pitched | 867.2 | Leads: 923.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.69 | 2.87 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.04 | 1.12 |
| K/9 | Leads: 13.71 | 9.51 |
| BB/9 | 3.82 | Leads: 3.35 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Craig Kimbrel outpaces Joe Nathan 30,862 to 22,319 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,715 PIV per season to 1,313, 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.
Joe Nathan
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 strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Joe Nathan owns wins and innings pitched. 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 Joe Nathan careers compare
The careers of Craig Kimbrel (2010–present) and Joe Nathan (1999–2016) overlapped from 2010 to 2016, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 897 games for Craig Kimbrel and 787 for Joe Nathan across 18 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Joe Nathan comes out ahead, it is in wins (64 to 57), starts (29 to 0), and innings (923.1 to 867.2). The per-nine rows read 13.71 strikeouts and 3.82 walks for Craig Kimbrel, 9.51 and 3.35 for Joe Nathan. Craig Kimbrel's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Craig Kimbrel vs Joe Nathan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Craig Kimbrel or Joe Nathan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Craig Kimbrel leads Joe Nathan in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 2.69 to Joe Nathan's 2.87.
- Who won more games?
- Joe Nathan, with 64 to Craig Kimbrel's 57.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 1,322 to Joe Nathan's 976.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 1.04 to Joe Nathan's 1.12.