Rafael Betancourt vs Mariano Rivera: Career Stats Comparison
Rafael Betancourt (2003–2015) and Mariano Rivera (1995–2013) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Rafael Betancourt compiled 38 wins and 724 strikeouts; Mariano Rivera put up 82 wins and 1,173 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Rafael Betancourt
Mariano Rivera
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Rafael Betancourt | Mariano Rivera |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 38 | 82 |
| Losses | 37 | 60 |
| Games | 680 | 1,115 |
| Games Started | 0 | 10 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 75 | 652 |
| Strikeouts | 724 | 1,173 |
| Walks | 164 | 286 |
| Hits Allowed | 596 | 998 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 71 | 71 |
| Innings Pitched | 685 | 1,283 |
| ERA | 3.36 | 2.21 |
| WHIP | 1.11 | 1.00 |
| K/9 | 9.50 | 8.22 |
| BB/9 | 2.15 | 2.01 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mariano Rivera outpaces Rafael Betancourt 52,571 to 20,765 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,767 vs 1,597 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Rafael Betancourt — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Mariano Rivera — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mariano Rivera leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Rafael Betancourt owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mariano Rivera. PIV agrees: Mariano Rivera grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.