Craig Kimbrel vs Gregg Olson: Career Stats Comparison
Craig Kimbrel 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). Craig Kimbrel has played 2010–present as a pitcher; Gregg Olson played 1988–2001 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 Gregg Olson (1988–2001) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Craig Kimbrel has 57 wins and 1,322 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Gregg Olson finished with 40 wins and 588 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 Gregg Olson's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Craig Kimbrel, with 57 to Gregg Olson's 40.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Craig Kimbrel, with 1,322 to Gregg Olson's 588.
- Who had the better WHIP? Craig Kimbrel, with 1.04 to Gregg Olson's 1.38.
- Who pitched more innings? Craig Kimbrel, with 867.2 to Gregg Olson's 672.0.
- 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 Gregg Olson's 10,029.
Craig Kimbrel
Gregg Olson
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 1980s 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 | Gregg Olson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 57 | 40 |
| Losses not scored | 53 | 39 |
| Games | Leads: 897 | 622 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 441 | 217 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,322 | 588 |
| Walks not scored | 368 | 330 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 532 | 598 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 79 | 46 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 867.2 | 672.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.69 | 3.46 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.04 | 1.38 |
| K/9 | Leads: 13.71 | 7.88 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.82 | 4.42 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Craig Kimbrel outpaces Gregg Olson 30,862 to 10,029 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,715 PIV per season to 590, 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.
Gregg Olson
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 Gregg Olson 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 Gregg Olson careers compare
Gregg Olson (1988–2001) was finished before Craig Kimbrel (2010–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 897 games for Craig Kimbrel and 622 for Gregg Olson across 18 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Craig Kimbrel leads every scored row of the table. The per-nine rows read 13.71 strikeouts and 3.82 walks for Craig Kimbrel, 7.88 and 4.42 for Gregg Olson. Both had the same role: Craig Kimbrel worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 897 games, 441 saves); Gregg Olson worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 622 games, 217 saves). Because Craig Kimbrel is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Craig Kimbrel vs Gregg Olson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Craig Kimbrel or Gregg Olson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Craig Kimbrel leads Gregg Olson in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 2.69 to Gregg Olson's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 57 to Gregg Olson's 40.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 1,322 to Gregg Olson's 588.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 1.04 to Gregg Olson's 1.38.