Rafael Betancourt vs Brad Lidge: Career Stats Comparison
Rafael Betancourt 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). Rafael Betancourt played 2003–2015 as a pitcher; Brad Lidge played 2002–2012 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
Rafael Betancourt (2003–2015) and Brad Lidge (2002–2012) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Rafael Betancourt finished with 38 wins and 724 strikeouts; Brad Lidge finished with 26 wins and 799 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 Brad Lidge's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Rafael Betancourt, with 38 to Brad Lidge's 26.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Brad Lidge, with 799 to Rafael Betancourt's 724.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rafael Betancourt, with 1.11 to Brad Lidge's 1.29.
- Who pitched more innings? Rafael Betancourt, with 685.2 to Brad Lidge's 603.1.
- 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 Brad Lidge's 17,126.
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 | Rafael Betancourt | Brad Lidge |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 38 | 26 |
| Losses not scored | 37 | 32 |
| Games | Leads: 680 | 603 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 75 | Leads: 225 |
| Strikeouts | 724 | Leads: 799 |
| Walks not scored | 164 | 287 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 596 | 492 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 71 | 57 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 685.2 | 603.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.36 | 3.54 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.11 | 1.29 |
| K/9 | 9.50 | Leads: 11.92 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.15 | 4.28 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rafael Betancourt leads Brad Lidge 20,765 to 17,126 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,597 PIV per season to 1,557, 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).
Rafael Betancourt
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Brad Lidge
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 wins, ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Brad Lidge owns strikeouts and K/9. 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 Rafael Betancourt and Brad Lidge careers compare
The careers of Rafael Betancourt (2003–2015) and Brad Lidge (2002–2012) overlapped from 2003 to 2012, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 680 games for Rafael Betancourt and 603 for Brad Lidge across 13 and 11 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Brad Lidge comes out ahead, it is in starts (1 to 0), saves (225 to 75), and strikeouts (799 to 724). The per-nine rows read 9.50 strikeouts and 2.15 walks for Rafael Betancourt, 11.92 and 4.28 for Brad Lidge.
Rafael Betancourt vs Brad Lidge: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rafael Betancourt or Brad Lidge?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rafael Betancourt leads Brad Lidge in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rafael Betancourt, with 3.36 to Brad Lidge's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Rafael Betancourt, with 38 to Brad Lidge's 26.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Brad Lidge, with 799 to Rafael Betancourt's 724.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rafael Betancourt, with 1.11 to Brad Lidge's 1.29.