Matt Brash vs Billy Wagner: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Wagner has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Matt Brash has played 2022–present as a pitcher; Billy Wagner played 1995–2010 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
Matt Brash (2022–present) and Billy Wagner (1995–2010) — breaking in during the 2020s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Matt Brash has 17 wins and 242 strikeouts through October 6, 2026; Billy Wagner finished with 47 wins and 1,196 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Billy Wagner, with 2.31 to Matt Brash's 3.06.
- Who won more games? Billy Wagner, with 47 to Matt Brash's 17.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Billy Wagner, with 1,196 to Matt Brash's 242.
- Who had the better WHIP? Billy Wagner, with 1.00 to Matt Brash's 1.33.
- Who pitched more innings? Billy Wagner, with 903.0 to Matt Brash's 185.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Billy Wagner, with 38,470 career Pitcher PIV to Matt Brash's 5,619.
Billy Wagner
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 2020s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Matt Brash is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Matt Brash | Billy Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 17 | Leads: 47 |
| Losses not scored | 11 | 40 |
| Games | 190 | Leads: 853 |
| Games Started | Leads: 5 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 8 | Leads: 422 |
| Strikeouts | 242 | Leads: 1,196 |
| Walks not scored | 86 | 300 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 160 | 601 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 10 | 82 |
| Innings Pitched | 185.1 | Leads: 903.0 |
| ERA | 3.06 | Leads: 2.31 |
| WHIP | 1.33 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | 11.75 | Leads: 11.92 |
| BB/9 | 4.18 | Leads: 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Wagner outpaces Matt Brash 38,470 to 5,619 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,263 PIV per season to 1,873, across 17 seasons to 3. 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).
Matt Brash
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Billy Wagner
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Billy Wagner leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Matt Brash owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Billy Wagner. PIV agrees: Billy Wagner grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Matt Brash and Billy Wagner careers compare
No season is shared: Billy Wagner played 1995–2010, Matt Brash 2022–present. The table compares 190 games of Matt Brash with 853 of Billy Wagner across 3 and 17 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Matt Brash comes out ahead, it is in starts (5 to 0). The per-nine rows read 11.75 strikeouts and 4.18 walks for Matt Brash, 11.92 and 2.99 for Billy Wagner. Matt Brash worked mostly in relief (5 starts in 190 games, 8 saves), and Billy Wagner worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 853 games, 422 saves). Billy Wagner allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.00 WHIP to Matt Brash's 1.33. Because Matt Brash is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Matt Brash vs Billy Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Matt Brash or Billy Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Wagner leads Matt Brash in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Billy Wagner, with 2.31 to Matt Brash's 3.06.
- Who won more games?
- Billy Wagner, with 47 to Matt Brash's 17.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Billy Wagner, with 1,196 to Matt Brash's 242.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Billy Wagner, with 1.00 to Matt Brash's 1.33.