Emmanuel Clase vs Joe Nathan: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Nathan 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). Emmanuel Clase played 2019–2025 as a pitcher; Joe Nathan played 1999–2016 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
Emmanuel Clase (2019–2025) and Joe Nathan (1999–2016) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Emmanuel Clase finished with 21 wins and 349 strikeouts; Joe Nathan finished with 64 wins and 976 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Emmanuel Clase, with 1.88 to Joe Nathan's 2.87.
- Who won more games? Joe Nathan, with 64 to Emmanuel Clase's 21.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Joe Nathan, with 976 to Emmanuel Clase's 349.
- Who had the better WHIP? Emmanuel Clase, with 0.94 to Joe Nathan's 1.12.
- Who pitched more innings? Joe Nathan, with 923.1 to Emmanuel Clase's 360.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Joe Nathan, with 22,319 career Pitcher PIV to Emmanuel Clase's 15,946.
Emmanuel Clase
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 2010s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Emmanuel Clase | Joe Nathan |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 21 | Leads: 64 |
| Losses not scored | 26 | 34 |
| Games | 366 | Leads: 787 |
| Games Started | 1 | Leads: 29 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 182 | Leads: 377 |
| Strikeouts | 349 | Leads: 976 |
| Walks not scored | 70 | 344 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 267 | 690 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 15 | 84 |
| Innings Pitched | 360.0 | Leads: 923.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 1.88 | 2.87 |
| WHIP | Leads: 0.94 | 1.12 |
| K/9 | 8.72 | Leads: 9.51 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.75 | 3.35 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Nathan outpaces Emmanuel Clase 22,319 to 15,946 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Joe Nathan played 17 seasons to Emmanuel Clase's 6, while Emmanuel Clase carries the higher per-season figure (2,658 to 1,313). 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).
Emmanuel Clase
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Joe Nathan
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe Nathan leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Emmanuel Clase owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Joe Nathan. PIV agrees: Joe Nathan grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Emmanuel Clase and Joe Nathan careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Joe Nathan's ended in 2016, and Emmanuel Clase debuted in 2019. Joe Nathan has the far longer record, 787 games against 366 across 6 and 17 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Emmanuel Clase comes out ahead, it is in ERA (1.88 to 2.87), WHIP (0.94 to 1.12), and walks per nine (1.75 to 3.35). The per-nine rows read 8.72 strikeouts and 1.75 walks for Emmanuel Clase, 9.51 and 3.35 for Joe Nathan. Both had the same role: Emmanuel Clase worked mostly in relief (1 starts in 366 games, 182 saves); Joe Nathan worked mostly in relief (29 starts in 787 games, 377 saves).
Emmanuel Clase vs Joe Nathan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Emmanuel Clase or Joe Nathan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Nathan leads Emmanuel Clase in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Emmanuel Clase, with 1.88 to Joe Nathan's 2.87.
- Who won more games?
- Joe Nathan, with 64 to Emmanuel Clase's 21.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Joe Nathan, with 976 to Emmanuel Clase's 349.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Emmanuel Clase, with 0.94 to Joe Nathan's 1.12.