Craig Kimbrel vs Jose Valverde: 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; Jose Valverde played 2003–2014 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 Jose Valverde (2003–2014) — 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 12, 2026; Jose Valverde finished with 27 wins and 692 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 Jose Valverde's 3.27.
- Who won more games? Craig Kimbrel, with 57 to Jose Valverde's 27.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Craig Kimbrel, with 1,322 to Jose Valverde's 692.
- Who had the better WHIP? Craig Kimbrel, with 1.04 to Jose Valverde's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Craig Kimbrel, with 867.2 to Jose Valverde's 630.1.
- 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 Jose Valverde's 9,113.
Craig Kimbrel
Jose Valverde
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 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Craig Kimbrel | Jose Valverde |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 57 | 27 |
| Losses not scored | 53 | 33 |
| Games | Leads: 897 | 626 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 441 | 288 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,322 | 692 |
| Walks not scored | 368 | 264 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 532 | 490 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 79 | 67 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 867.2 | 630.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.69 | 3.27 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.04 | 1.20 |
| K/9 | Leads: 13.71 | 9.88 |
| BB/9 | 3.82 | Leads: 3.77 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Craig Kimbrel outpaces Jose Valverde 30,862 to 9,113 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,715 PIV per season to 759, across 18 seasons to 12. 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.
Jose Valverde
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 Jose Valverde 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 Jose Valverde careers compare
The careers of Craig Kimbrel (2010–present) and Jose Valverde (2003–2014) overlapped from 2010 to 2014, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 897 games for Craig Kimbrel and 626 for Jose Valverde across 18 and 12 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Jose Valverde are walks per nine (3.77 to 3.82). By rate, Craig Kimbrel struck out 13.71 and walked 3.82 per nine innings; Jose Valverde struck out 9.88 and walked 3.77. Because Craig Kimbrel is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Craig Kimbrel vs Jose Valverde: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Craig Kimbrel or Jose Valverde?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Craig Kimbrel leads Jose Valverde in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 2.69 to Jose Valverde's 3.27.
- Who won more games?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 57 to Jose Valverde's 27.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 1,322 to Jose Valverde's 692.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 1.04 to Jose Valverde's 1.20.