Rod Beck vs Billy Wagner: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Wagner has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Rod Beck played 1991–2004 as a pitcher; Billy Wagner played 1995–2010 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
Rod Beck (1991–2004) and Billy Wagner (1995–2010) — both came up during the 1990s, so the matchup is a direct one. Rod Beck finished with 38 wins and 644 strikeouts; Billy Wagner finished with 47 wins and 1,196 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Billy Wagner, with 2.31 to Rod Beck's 3.30.
- Who won more games? Billy Wagner, with 47 to Rod Beck's 38.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Billy Wagner, with 1,196 to Rod Beck's 644.
- Who had the better WHIP? Billy Wagner, with 1.00 to Rod Beck's 1.16.
- Who pitched more innings? Billy Wagner, with 903.0 to Rod Beck's 768.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Billy Wagner, with 38,470 career Pitcher PIV to Rod Beck's 9,964.
Billy Wagner
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 | Rod Beck | Billy Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 38 | Leads: 47 |
| Losses not scored | 45 | 40 |
| Games | 704 | Leads: 853 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 286 | Leads: 422 |
| Strikeouts | 644 | Leads: 1,196 |
| Walks not scored | 191 | 300 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 703 | 601 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 82 |
| Innings Pitched | 768.0 | Leads: 903.0 |
| ERA | 3.30 | Leads: 2.31 |
| WHIP | 1.16 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | 7.55 | Leads: 11.92 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.24 | 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Wagner outpaces Rod Beck 38,470 to 9,964 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,263 PIV per season to 712, across 17 seasons to 14. 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).
Rod Beck
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Billy Wagner
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Billy Wagner leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Rod Beck owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Billy Wagner. PIV agrees: Billy Wagner grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rod Beck and Billy Wagner careers compare
The careers of Rod Beck (1991–2004) and Billy Wagner (1995–2010) overlapped from 1995 to 2004, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 704 games against 853 across 14 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Rod Beck are walks per nine (2.24 to 2.99). The per-nine rows read 7.55 strikeouts and 2.24 walks for Rod Beck, 11.92 and 2.99 for Billy Wagner. Both had the same role: Rod Beck worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 704 games, 286 saves); Billy Wagner worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 853 games, 422 saves).
Rod Beck vs Billy Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rod Beck or Billy Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Wagner leads Rod Beck in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Billy Wagner, with 2.31 to Rod Beck's 3.30.
- Who won more games?
- Billy Wagner, with 47 to Rod Beck's 38.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Billy Wagner, with 1,196 to Rod Beck's 644.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Billy Wagner, with 1.00 to Rod Beck's 1.16.