Rick Aguilera vs John Wetteland: Career Stats Comparison
Rick Aguilera 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; John Wetteland played 1989–2000 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 John Wetteland (1989–2000) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Rick Aguilera finished with 86 wins and 1,030 strikeouts; John Wetteland finished with 48 wins and 804 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? John Wetteland, with 2.93 to Rick Aguilera's 3.57.
- Who won more games? Rick Aguilera, with 86 to John Wetteland's 48.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rick Aguilera, with 1,030 to John Wetteland's 804.
- Who had the better WHIP? John Wetteland, with 1.13 to Rick Aguilera's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Rick Aguilera, with 1,291.1 to John Wetteland's 765.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? John Wetteland, with 20,366 career Pitcher PIV to Rick Aguilera's 17,939.
Rick Aguilera
John Wetteland
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 | John Wetteland |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 86 | 48 |
| Losses not scored | 81 | 45 |
| Games | Leads: 732 | 618 |
| Games Started | Leads: 89 | 17 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 10 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 318 | Leads: 330 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,030 | 804 |
| Walks not scored | 351 | 252 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,233 | 616 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 138 | 73 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,291.1 | 765.0 |
| ERA | 3.57 | Leads: 2.93 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 7.18 | Leads: 9.46 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.45 | 2.96 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Wetteland leads Rick Aguilera 20,366 to 17,939 — driven by per-season impact — 1,697 PIV per season to 944 — rather than by longevity, since John Wetteland played 12 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)
John Wetteland
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, John Wetteland leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Rick Aguilera owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to John Wetteland. PIV agrees: John Wetteland 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 John Wetteland careers compare
The careers of Rick Aguilera (1985–2000) and John Wetteland (1989–2000) overlapped from 1989 to 2000, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 732 games against 618 across 19 and 12 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for John Wetteland are saves (330 to 318), ERA (2.93 to 3.57), and WHIP (1.13 to 1.23). The per-nine rows read 7.18 strikeouts and 2.45 walks for Rick Aguilera, 9.46 and 2.96 for John Wetteland. Rick Aguilera worked mostly in relief (89 starts in 732 games, 318 saves), and John Wetteland worked mostly in relief (17 starts in 618 games, 330 saves).
Rick Aguilera vs John Wetteland: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rick Aguilera or John Wetteland?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rick Aguilera leads John Wetteland in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- John Wetteland, with 2.93 to Rick Aguilera's 3.57.
- Who won more games?
- Rick Aguilera, with 86 to John Wetteland's 48.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rick Aguilera, with 1,030 to John Wetteland's 804.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- John Wetteland, with 1.13 to Rick Aguilera's 1.23.