Ryan Cook vs. James McDonald — Career Comparison

James McDonald built a career as a starting pitcher and Ryan Cook as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. Ryan Cook led in home run suppression (HR9+ 235 vs 82), run prevention (ERA+ 146 vs 94), and skill-based run prevention (DICE+ 129 vs 89). Role difference aside, Ryan Cook holds a clear edge on every meaningful shared measure.