Heath Bell vs Greg Holland: Career Stats Comparison
Greg Holland has the better career line of the two, leading 5 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; Greg Holland played 2010–2022 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 Greg Holland (2010–2022) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Heath Bell finished with 38 wins and 637 strikeouts; Greg Holland finished with 30 wins and 677 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Greg Holland, with 3.14 to Heath Bell's 3.49.
- Who won more games? Heath Bell, with 38 to Greg Holland's 30.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Greg Holland, with 677 to Heath Bell's 637.
- Who had the better WHIP? Greg Holland, with 1.20 to Heath Bell's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Heath Bell, with 628.2 to Greg Holland's 547.2.
- 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 Greg Holland's 15,332.
Greg Holland
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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Heath Bell | Greg Holland |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 38 | 30 |
| Losses not scored | 32 | 28 |
| Games | Leads: 590 | 556 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 168 | Leads: 220 |
| Strikeouts | 637 | Leads: 677 |
| Walks not scored | 214 | 241 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 584 | 417 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 48 | 43 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 628.2 | 547.2 |
| ERA | 3.49 | Leads: 3.14 |
| WHIP | 1.27 | Leads: 1.20 |
| K/9 | 9.12 | Leads: 11.13 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.06 | 3.96 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Heath Bell edges Greg Holland 16,481 to 15,332 — driven by per-season impact — 1,498 PIV per season to 1,179 — rather than by longevity, since Heath Bell played 11 seasons to Greg Holland's 13. 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.
Greg Holland
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Greg Holland leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Heath Bell owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Greg Holland. Note that PIV actually grades Heath Bell ahead, which means Greg Holland's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Heath Bell and Greg Holland careers compare
From 2010 through 2014, Heath Bell and Greg Holland were in the majors together. With 590 games against 556 across 11 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Heath Bell's edges on the table are wins (38 to 30), games (590 to 556), and innings (628.2 to 547.2). The per-nine rows read 9.12 strikeouts and 3.06 walks for Heath Bell, 11.13 and 3.96 for Greg Holland. Both had the same role: Heath Bell worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 590 games, 168 saves); Greg Holland worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 556 games, 220 saves). In WHIP, Greg Holland's 1.20 beats Heath Bell's 1.27.
Heath Bell vs Greg Holland: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Heath Bell or Greg Holland?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Greg Holland leads Heath Bell in 5 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Greg Holland, with 3.14 to Heath Bell's 3.49.
- Who won more games?
- Heath Bell, with 38 to Greg Holland's 30.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Greg Holland, with 677 to Heath Bell's 637.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Greg Holland, with 1.20 to Heath Bell's 1.27.