Rick Aguilera vs Mariano Rivera: Career Stats Comparison
Mariano Rivera has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Mariano Rivera played 1995–2013 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 Mariano Rivera (1995–2013) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Rick Aguilera finished with 86 wins and 1,030 strikeouts; Mariano Rivera finished with 82 wins and 1,173 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Mariano Rivera, with 2.21 to Rick Aguilera's 3.57.
- Who won more games? Rick Aguilera, with 86 to Mariano Rivera's 82.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Mariano Rivera, with 1,173 to Rick Aguilera's 1,030.
- Who had the better WHIP? Mariano Rivera, with 1.00 to Rick Aguilera's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Rick Aguilera, with 1,291.1 to Mariano Rivera's 1,283.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Mariano Rivera, with 52,571 career Pitcher PIV to Rick Aguilera's 17,939.
Rick Aguilera
Mariano Rivera
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 1980s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rick Aguilera | Mariano Rivera |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 86 | 82 |
| Losses not scored | 81 | 60 |
| Games | 732 | Leads: 1,115 |
| Games Started | Leads: 89 | 10 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 10 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 318 | Leads: 652 |
| Strikeouts | 1,030 | Leads: 1,173 |
| Walks not scored | 351 | 286 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,233 | 998 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 138 | 71 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,291.1 | 1,283.2 |
| ERA | 3.57 | Leads: 2.21 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | 7.18 | Leads: 8.22 |
| BB/9 | 2.45 | Leads: 2.01 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mariano Rivera outpaces Rick Aguilera 52,571 to 17,939 — driven by per-season impact — 2,767 PIV per season to 944 — rather than by longevity, since Mariano Rivera played 19 seasons to Rick Aguilera's 19. 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)
Mariano Rivera
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mariano Rivera leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Rick Aguilera owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mariano Rivera. PIV agrees: Mariano Rivera 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 Mariano Rivera careers compare
Rick Aguilera and Mariano Rivera were active at the same time between 1995 and 2000. Mariano Rivera has the far longer record, 1,115 games against 732 across 19 and 19 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Rick Aguilera are wins (86 to 82), starts (89 to 10), and complete games (10 to 0). The per-nine rows read 7.18 strikeouts and 2.45 walks for Rick Aguilera, 8.22 and 2.01 for Mariano Rivera. Rick Aguilera worked mostly in relief (89 starts in 732 games, 318 saves), and Mariano Rivera worked mostly in relief (10 starts in 1,115 games, 652 saves). Mariano Rivera allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.00 WHIP to Rick Aguilera's 1.23.
Rick Aguilera vs Mariano Rivera: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rick Aguilera or Mariano Rivera?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mariano Rivera leads Rick Aguilera in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Mariano Rivera, with 2.21 to Rick Aguilera's 3.57.
- Who won more games?
- Rick Aguilera, with 86 to Mariano Rivera's 82.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Mariano Rivera, with 1,173 to Rick Aguilera's 1,030.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Mariano Rivera, with 1.00 to Rick Aguilera's 1.23.