Andrew Bailey vs Jonathan Papelbon: Career Stats Comparison
Jonathan Papelbon has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Andrew Bailey played 2009–2017 as a pitcher; Jonathan Papelbon played 2005–2016 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
Andrew Bailey (2009–2017) and Jonathan Papelbon (2005–2016) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Andrew Bailey finished with 16 wins and 276 strikeouts; Jonathan Papelbon finished with 41 wins and 808 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Jonathan Papelbon, with 2.44 to Andrew Bailey's 3.12.
- Who won more games? Jonathan Papelbon, with 41 to Andrew Bailey's 16.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jonathan Papelbon, with 808 to Andrew Bailey's 276.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Andrew Bailey's 1.10.
- Who pitched more innings? Jonathan Papelbon, with 725.2 to Andrew Bailey's 274.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jonathan Papelbon, with 24,416 career Pitcher PIV to Andrew Bailey's 4,922.
Andrew Bailey
Jonathan Papelbon
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 | Andrew Bailey | Jonathan Papelbon |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 16 | Leads: 41 |
| Losses not scored | 14 | 36 |
| Games | 265 | Leads: 689 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 3 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 95 | Leads: 368 |
| Strikeouts | 276 | Leads: 808 |
| Walks not scored | 91 | 185 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 212 | 572 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 29 | 57 |
| Innings Pitched | 274.1 | Leads: 725.2 |
| ERA | 3.12 | Leads: 2.44 |
| WHIP | 1.10 | Leads: 1.04 |
| K/9 | 9.05 | Leads: 10.02 |
| BB/9 | 2.99 | Leads: 2.29 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jonathan Papelbon outpaces Andrew Bailey 24,416 to 4,922 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,878 PIV per season to 547, across 13 seasons to 9. 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).
Andrew Bailey
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Jonathan Papelbon
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jonathan Papelbon leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Andrew Bailey owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jonathan Papelbon. PIV agrees: Jonathan Papelbon grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Andrew Bailey and Jonathan Papelbon careers compare
Andrew Bailey and Jonathan Papelbon were active at the same time between 2009 and 2016. Jonathan Papelbon has the far longer record, 689 games against 265 across 9 and 13 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Jonathan Papelbon leads every scored row of the table. By rate, Andrew Bailey struck out 9.05 and walked 2.99 per nine innings; Jonathan Papelbon struck out 10.02 and walked 2.29. Andrew Bailey worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 265 games, 95 saves), and Jonathan Papelbon worked mostly in relief (3 starts in 689 games, 368 saves). Jonathan Papelbon allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.04 WHIP to Andrew Bailey's 1.10.
Andrew Bailey vs Jonathan Papelbon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Andrew Bailey or Jonathan Papelbon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jonathan Papelbon leads Andrew Bailey in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 2.44 to Andrew Bailey's 3.12.
- Who won more games?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 41 to Andrew Bailey's 16.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 808 to Andrew Bailey's 276.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Andrew Bailey's 1.10.