Paul Assenmacher vs John Wetteland: Career Stats Comparison
John Wetteland has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Paul Assenmacher played 1986–1999 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
Paul Assenmacher (1986–1999) and John Wetteland (1989–2000) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Paul Assenmacher finished with 61 wins and 807 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 Paul Assenmacher's 3.53.
- Who won more games? Paul Assenmacher, with 61 to John Wetteland's 48.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Paul Assenmacher, with 807 to John Wetteland's 804.
- Who had the better WHIP? John Wetteland, with 1.13 to Paul Assenmacher's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Paul Assenmacher, with 855.2 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 Paul Assenmacher's 16,548.
Paul Assenmacher
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 | Paul Assenmacher | John Wetteland |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 61 | 48 |
| Losses not scored | 44 | 45 |
| Games | Leads: 884 | 618 |
| Games Started | 1 | Leads: 17 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 56 | Leads: 330 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 807 | 804 |
| Walks not scored | 315 | 252 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 817 | 616 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 73 | 73 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 855.2 | 765.0 |
| ERA | 3.53 | Leads: 2.93 |
| WHIP | 1.32 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 8.49 | Leads: 9.46 |
| BB/9 | 3.31 | Leads: 2.96 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Wetteland leads Paul Assenmacher 20,366 to 16,548 — driven by per-season impact — 1,697 PIV per season to 1,034 — rather than by longevity, since John Wetteland played 12 seasons to Paul Assenmacher's 16. 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).
Paul Assenmacher
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
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 Paul Assenmacher 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 Paul Assenmacher and John Wetteland careers compare
From 1989 through 1999, Paul Assenmacher and John Wetteland were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 884 games for Paul Assenmacher and 618 for John Wetteland across 16 and 12 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Paul Assenmacher are wins (61 to 48), games (884 to 618), and strikeouts (807 to 804). The per-nine rows read 8.49 strikeouts and 3.31 walks for Paul Assenmacher, 9.46 and 2.96 for John Wetteland. Paul Assenmacher worked mostly in relief (1 starts in 884 games, 56 saves), and John Wetteland worked mostly in relief (17 starts in 618 games, 330 saves).
Paul Assenmacher vs John Wetteland: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Paul Assenmacher or John Wetteland?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, John Wetteland leads Paul Assenmacher in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- John Wetteland, with 2.93 to Paul Assenmacher's 3.53.
- Who won more games?
- Paul Assenmacher, with 61 to John Wetteland's 48.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Paul Assenmacher, with 807 to John Wetteland's 804.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- John Wetteland, with 1.13 to Paul Assenmacher's 1.32.