Heath Bell vs Francisco Rodriguez: Career Stats Comparison
Francisco Rodriguez 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). Heath Bell played 2004–2014 as a pitcher; Francisco Rodriguez played 2002–2017 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 Rodriguez (2002–2017) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Heath Bell finished with 38 wins and 637 strikeouts; Francisco Rodriguez finished with 52 wins and 1,142 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Francisco Rodriguez, with 2.86 to Heath Bell's 3.49.
- Who won more games? Francisco Rodriguez, with 52 to Heath Bell's 38.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Francisco Rodriguez, with 1,142 to Heath Bell's 637.
- Who had the better WHIP? Francisco Rodriguez, with 1.15 to Heath Bell's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Francisco Rodriguez, with 976.0 to Heath Bell's 628.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Francisco Rodriguez, with 21,669 career Pitcher PIV to Heath Bell's 16,481.
Francisco Rodriguez
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 | Francisco Rodriguez |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 38 | Leads: 52 |
| Losses not scored | 32 | 53 |
| Games | 590 | Leads: 948 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 168 | Leads: 437 |
| Strikeouts | 637 | Leads: 1,142 |
| Walks not scored | 214 | 389 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 584 | 738 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 48 | 98 |
| Innings Pitched | 628.2 | Leads: 976.0 |
| ERA | 3.49 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | 1.27 | Leads: 1.15 |
| K/9 | 9.12 | Leads: 10.53 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.06 | 3.59 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Francisco Rodriguez leads Heath Bell 21,669 to 16,481 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Francisco Rodriguez played 18 seasons to Heath Bell's 11, while Heath Bell carries the higher per-season figure (1,498 to 1,204). 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 Rodriguez
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Francisco Rodriguez leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Heath Bell owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Francisco Rodriguez. PIV agrees: Francisco Rodriguez 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 Francisco Rodriguez careers compare
The careers of Heath Bell (2004–2014) and Francisco Rodriguez (2002–2017) overlapped from 2004 to 2014, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Francisco Rodriguez has the far longer record, 948 games against 590 across 11 and 18 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Heath Bell are walks per nine (3.06 to 3.59). The per-nine rows read 9.12 strikeouts and 3.06 walks for Heath Bell, 10.53 and 3.59 for Francisco Rodriguez. Both had the same role: Heath Bell worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 590 games, 168 saves); Francisco Rodriguez worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 948 games, 437 saves).
Heath Bell vs Francisco Rodriguez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Heath Bell or Francisco Rodriguez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Francisco Rodriguez leads Heath Bell in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 2.86 to Heath Bell's 3.49.
- Who won more games?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 52 to Heath Bell's 38.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 1,142 to Heath Bell's 637.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 1.15 to Heath Bell's 1.27.