Heath Bell vs Rafael Betancourt: Career Stats Comparison
Rafael Betancourt 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). Heath Bell played 2004–2014 as a pitcher; Rafael Betancourt played 2003–2015 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
Heath Bell (2004–2014) and Rafael Betancourt (2003–2015) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Heath Bell finished with 38 wins and 637 strikeouts; Rafael Betancourt finished with 38 wins and 724 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Rafael Betancourt, with 3.36 to Heath Bell's 3.49.
- Who won more games? Neither — both are at 38.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rafael Betancourt, with 724 to Heath Bell's 637.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rafael Betancourt, with 1.11 to Heath Bell's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Rafael Betancourt, with 685.2 to Heath Bell's 628.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Rafael Betancourt, with 20,765 career Pitcher PIV to Heath Bell's 16,481.
Rafael Betancourt
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 | Heath Bell | Rafael Betancourt |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 38 | 38 |
| Losses not scored | 32 | 37 |
| Games | 590 | Leads: 680 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 168 | 75 |
| Strikeouts | 637 | Leads: 724 |
| Walks not scored | 214 | 164 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 584 | 596 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 48 | 71 |
| Innings Pitched | 628.2 | Leads: 685.2 |
| ERA | 3.49 | Leads: 3.36 |
| WHIP | 1.27 | Leads: 1.11 |
| K/9 | 9.12 | Leads: 9.50 |
| BB/9 | 3.06 | Leads: 2.15 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rafael Betancourt leads Heath Bell 20,765 to 16,481 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,597 PIV per season to 1,498, across 13 seasons to 11. 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).
Heath Bell
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Rafael Betancourt
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rafael Betancourt leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Heath Bell owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rafael Betancourt. PIV agrees: Rafael Betancourt grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Heath Bell and Rafael Betancourt careers compare
The careers of Heath Bell (2004–2014) and Rafael Betancourt (2003–2015) overlapped from 2004 to 2014, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 590 games against 680 across 11 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Heath Bell are saves (168 to 75). The per-nine rows read 9.12 strikeouts and 3.06 walks for Heath Bell, 9.50 and 2.15 for Rafael Betancourt. Both had the same role: Heath Bell worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 590 games, 168 saves); Rafael Betancourt worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 680 games, 75 saves).
Heath Bell vs Rafael Betancourt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Heath Bell or Rafael Betancourt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rafael Betancourt leads Heath Bell in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rafael Betancourt, with 3.36 to Heath Bell's 3.49.
- Who won more games?
- Neither — both are at 38.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rafael Betancourt, with 724 to Heath Bell's 637.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rafael Betancourt, with 1.11 to Heath Bell's 1.27.