Heath Bell vs Francisco Cordero: Career Stats Comparison
Francisco Cordero 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). Heath Bell played 2004–2014 as a pitcher; Francisco Cordero played 1999–2012 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
Heath Bell (2004–2014) and Francisco Cordero (1999–2012) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Heath Bell finished with 38 wins and 637 strikeouts; Francisco Cordero finished with 47 wins and 796 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Francisco Cordero, with 3.38 to Heath Bell's 3.49.
- Who won more games? Francisco Cordero, with 47 to Heath Bell's 38.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Francisco Cordero, with 796 to Heath Bell's 637.
- Who had the better WHIP? Heath Bell, with 1.27 to Francisco Cordero's 1.37.
- Who pitched more innings? Francisco Cordero, with 824.2 to Heath Bell's 628.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Heath Bell, with 16,481 career Pitcher PIV to Francisco Cordero's 15,835.
Francisco Cordero
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 2000s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Heath Bell | Francisco Cordero |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 38 | Leads: 47 |
| Losses not scored | 32 | 53 |
| Games | 590 | Leads: 800 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 168 | Leads: 329 |
| Strikeouts | 637 | Leads: 796 |
| Walks not scored | 214 | 375 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 584 | 751 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 48 | 64 |
| Innings Pitched | 628.2 | Leads: 824.2 |
| ERA | 3.49 | Leads: 3.38 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.27 | 1.37 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.12 | 8.69 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.06 | 4.09 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Heath Bell edges Francisco Cordero 16,481 to 15,835 — driven by per-season impact — 1,498 PIV per season to 990 — rather than by longevity, since Heath Bell played 11 seasons to Francisco Cordero's 16. 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.
Francisco Cordero
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Francisco Cordero leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Heath Bell owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Francisco Cordero. Note that PIV actually grades Heath Bell ahead, which means Francisco Cordero's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Heath Bell and Francisco Cordero careers compare
Heath Bell and Francisco Cordero were active at the same time between 2004 and 2012. The two careers are close in length, 590 games for Heath Bell and 800 for Francisco Cordero across 11 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Heath Bell's edges on the table are WHIP (1.27 to 1.37), strikeouts per nine (9.12 to 8.69), and walks per nine (3.06 to 4.09). The per-nine rows read 9.12 strikeouts and 3.06 walks for Heath Bell, 8.69 and 4.09 for Francisco Cordero. Heath Bell worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 590 games, 168 saves), and Francisco Cordero worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 800 games, 329 saves).
Heath Bell vs Francisco Cordero: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Heath Bell or Francisco Cordero?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Francisco Cordero leads Heath Bell in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Francisco Cordero, with 3.38 to Heath Bell's 3.49.
- Who won more games?
- Francisco Cordero, with 47 to Heath Bell's 38.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Francisco Cordero, with 796 to Heath Bell's 637.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Heath Bell, with 1.27 to Francisco Cordero's 1.37.