Felix Bautista vs John Franco: Career Stats Comparison
John Franco 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). Felix Bautista has played 2022–present as a pitcher; John Franco played 1984–2005 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
Felix Bautista (2022–present) and John Franco (1984–2005) — breaking in during the 2020s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Felix Bautista has 13 wins and 251 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; John Franco finished with 90 wins and 975 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Felix Bautista, with 2.15 to John Franco's 2.89.
- Who won more games? John Franco, with 90 to Felix Bautista's 13.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? John Franco, with 975 to Felix Bautista's 251.
- Who had the better WHIP? Felix Bautista, with 0.99 to John Franco's 1.33.
- Who pitched more innings? John Franco, with 1,245.2 to Felix Bautista's 163.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? John Franco, with 22,498 career Pitcher PIV to Felix Bautista's 6,234.
Felix Bautista
John Franco
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 2020s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Felix Bautista is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Felix Bautista | John Franco |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 13 | Leads: 90 |
| Losses not scored | 7 | 87 |
| Games | 158 | Leads: 1,119 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 67 | Leads: 424 |
| Strikeouts | 251 | Leads: 975 |
| Walks not scored | 73 | 495 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 88 | 1,166 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 15 | 81 |
| Innings Pitched | 163.0 | Leads: 1,245.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.15 | 2.89 |
| WHIP | Leads: 0.99 | 1.33 |
| K/9 | Leads: 13.86 | 7.04 |
| BB/9 | 4.03 | Leads: 3.58 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Franco outpaces Felix Bautista 22,498 to 6,234 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: John Franco played 21 seasons to Felix Bautista's 3, while Felix Bautista carries the higher per-season figure (2,078 to 1,071). 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).
Felix Bautista
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
John Franco
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, John Franco leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Felix Bautista owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to John Franco. PIV agrees: John Franco grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Felix Bautista and John Franco careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: John Franco's ended in 2005, and Felix Bautista debuted in 2022. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Felix Bautista has appeared in 158 games to John Franco's 1,119. Felix Bautista's edges on the table are ERA (2.15 to 2.89), WHIP (0.99 to 1.33), and strikeouts per nine (13.86 to 7.04). The per-nine rows read 13.86 strikeouts and 4.03 walks for Felix Bautista, 7.04 and 3.58 for John Franco. Both had the same role: Felix Bautista worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 158 games, 67 saves); John Franco worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 1,119 games, 424 saves). Because Felix Bautista is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Felix Bautista vs John Franco: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Felix Bautista or John Franco?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, John Franco leads Felix Bautista in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Felix Bautista, with 2.15 to John Franco's 2.89.
- Who won more games?
- John Franco, with 90 to Felix Bautista's 13.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- John Franco, with 975 to Felix Bautista's 251.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Felix Bautista, with 0.99 to John Franco's 1.33.