Rod Beck vs Kerry Wood: Career Stats Comparison
Kerry Wood 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). Rod Beck played 1991–2004 as a pitcher; Kerry Wood played 1998–2012 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 Kerry Wood (1998–2012) — both came up during the 1990s, so the matchup is a direct one. Rod Beck finished with 38 wins and 644 strikeouts; Kerry Wood finished with 86 wins and 1,582 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Rod Beck, with 3.30 to Kerry Wood's 3.67.
- Who won more games? Kerry Wood, with 86 to Rod Beck's 38.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Kerry Wood, with 1,582 to Rod Beck's 644.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rod Beck, with 1.16 to Kerry Wood's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Kerry Wood, with 1,380.0 to Rod Beck's 768.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Kerry Wood, with 5 to Rod Beck's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Kerry Wood, with 20,852 career Pitcher PIV to Rod Beck's 9,964.
Kerry Wood
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 | Kerry Wood |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 38 | Leads: 86 |
| Losses not scored | 45 | 75 |
| Games | Leads: 704 | 446 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 178 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 11 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 5 |
| Saves | Leads: 286 | 63 |
| Strikeouts | 644 | Leads: 1,582 |
| Walks not scored | 191 | 666 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 703 | 1,083 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 148 |
| Innings Pitched | 768.0 | Leads: 1,380.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.30 | 3.67 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.16 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | 7.55 | Leads: 10.32 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.24 | 4.34 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Kerry Wood outpaces Rod Beck 20,852 to 9,964 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,390 PIV per season to 712, across 15 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.
Kerry Wood — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Kerry Wood leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Rod Beck owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Kerry Wood. PIV agrees: Kerry Wood 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 Kerry Wood careers compare
The careers of Rod Beck (1991–2004) and Kerry Wood (1998–2012) overlapped from 1998 to 2004, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Rod Beck has the far longer record, 704 games against 446 across 14 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The per-nine rows read 7.55 strikeouts and 2.24 walks for Rod Beck, 10.32 and 4.34 for Kerry Wood. Their roles differ: Rod Beck worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 704 games, 286 saves); Kerry Wood split time between starting and relief (178 starts in 446 games). In WHIP, Rod Beck's 1.16 beats Kerry Wood's 1.27.
Rod Beck vs Kerry Wood: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rod Beck or Kerry Wood?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Kerry Wood leads Rod Beck in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rod Beck, with 3.30 to Kerry Wood's 3.67.
- Who won more games?
- Kerry Wood, with 86 to Rod Beck's 38.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Kerry Wood, with 1,582 to Rod Beck's 644.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rod Beck, with 1.16 to Kerry Wood's 1.27.