Rick Aguilera vs Gregg Olson: Career Stats Comparison
Rick Aguilera 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). Rick Aguilera played 1985–2000 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
Rick Aguilera (1985–2000) and Gregg Olson (1988–2001) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Rick Aguilera finished with 86 wins and 1,030 strikeouts; 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? Gregg Olson, with 3.46 to Rick Aguilera's 3.57.
- Who won more games? Rick Aguilera, with 86 to Gregg Olson's 40.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rick Aguilera, with 1,030 to Gregg Olson's 588.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rick Aguilera, with 1.23 to Gregg Olson's 1.38.
- Who pitched more innings? Rick Aguilera, with 1,291.1 to Gregg Olson's 672.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Rick Aguilera, with 17,939 career Pitcher PIV to Gregg Olson's 10,029.
Rick Aguilera
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rick Aguilera | Gregg Olson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 86 | 40 |
| Losses not scored | 81 | 39 |
| Games | Leads: 732 | 622 |
| Games Started | Leads: 89 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 10 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 318 | 217 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,030 | 588 |
| Walks not scored | 351 | 330 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,233 | 598 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 138 | 46 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,291.1 | 672.0 |
| ERA | 3.57 | Leads: 3.46 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.23 | 1.38 |
| K/9 | 7.18 | Leads: 7.88 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.45 | 4.42 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rick Aguilera outpaces Gregg Olson 17,939 to 10,029 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 944 PIV per season to 590, across 19 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).
Rick Aguilera — top 2 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Gregg Olson
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rick Aguilera leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Gregg Olson owns ERA and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rick Aguilera. PIV agrees: Rick Aguilera grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rick Aguilera and Gregg Olson careers compare
From 1988 through 2000, Rick Aguilera and Gregg Olson were in the majors together. With 732 games against 622 across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Gregg Olson are ERA (3.46 to 3.57) and strikeouts per nine (7.88 to 7.18). The per-nine rows read 7.18 strikeouts and 2.45 walks for Rick Aguilera, 7.88 and 4.42 for Gregg Olson. Both had the same role: Rick Aguilera worked mostly in relief (89 starts in 732 games, 318 saves); Gregg Olson worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 622 games, 217 saves). In WHIP, Rick Aguilera's 1.23 beats Gregg Olson's 1.38.
Rick Aguilera vs Gregg Olson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rick Aguilera or Gregg Olson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rick Aguilera leads Gregg Olson in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Gregg Olson, with 3.46 to Rick Aguilera's 3.57.
- Who won more games?
- Rick Aguilera, with 86 to Gregg Olson's 40.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rick Aguilera, with 1,030 to Gregg Olson's 588.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rick Aguilera, with 1.23 to Gregg Olson's 1.38.