Jonathan Broxton vs Jonathan Papelbon: Career Stats Comparison
Jonathan Papelbon has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jonathan Broxton played 2005–2017 as a pitcher; Jonathan Papelbon played 2005–2016 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
Jonathan Broxton (2005–2017) and Jonathan Papelbon (2005–2016) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jonathan Broxton finished with 43 wins and 758 strikeouts; Jonathan Papelbon finished with 41 wins and 808 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Jonathan Papelbon, with 2.44 to Jonathan Broxton's 3.41.
- Who won more games? Jonathan Broxton, with 43 to Jonathan Papelbon's 41.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jonathan Papelbon, with 808 to Jonathan Broxton's 758.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Jonathan Broxton's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Jonathan Papelbon, with 725.2 to Jonathan Broxton's 676.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jonathan Papelbon, with 24,416 career Pitcher PIV to Jonathan Broxton's 17,970.
Jonathan Broxton
Jonathan Papelbon
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 | Jonathan Broxton | Jonathan Papelbon |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 43 | 41 |
| Losses not scored | 38 | 36 |
| Games | Leads: 694 | 689 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 3 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 118 | Leads: 368 |
| Strikeouts | 758 | Leads: 808 |
| Walks not scored | 268 | 185 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 580 | 572 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 51 | 57 |
| Innings Pitched | 676.0 | Leads: 725.2 |
| ERA | 3.41 | Leads: 2.44 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | Leads: 1.04 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.09 | 10.02 |
| BB/9 | 3.57 | Leads: 2.29 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jonathan Papelbon outpaces Jonathan Broxton 24,416 to 17,970 — driven by per-season impact — 1,878 PIV per season to 1,123 — rather than by longevity, since Jonathan Papelbon played 13 seasons to Jonathan Broxton's 16. 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).
Jonathan Broxton
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Jonathan Papelbon
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jonathan Papelbon leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Jonathan Broxton owns wins and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jonathan Papelbon. PIV agrees: Jonathan Papelbon grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jonathan Broxton and Jonathan Papelbon careers compare
From 2005 through 2016, Jonathan Broxton and Jonathan Papelbon were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 694 games for Jonathan Broxton and 689 for Jonathan Papelbon across 16 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Jonathan Broxton comes out ahead, it is in wins (43 to 41), games (694 to 689), and strikeouts per nine (10.09 to 10.02). The per-nine rows read 10.09 strikeouts and 3.57 walks for Jonathan Broxton, 10.02 and 2.29 for Jonathan Papelbon. Jonathan Broxton worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 694 games, 118 saves), and Jonathan Papelbon worked mostly in relief (3 starts in 689 games, 368 saves).
Jonathan Broxton vs Jonathan Papelbon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jonathan Broxton or Jonathan Papelbon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jonathan Papelbon leads Jonathan Broxton in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 2.44 to Jonathan Broxton's 3.41.
- Who won more games?
- Jonathan Broxton, with 43 to Jonathan Papelbon's 41.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 808 to Jonathan Broxton's 758.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Jonathan Broxton's 1.25.