Francisco Cordero vs John Franco: Career Stats Comparison
John Franco has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Francisco Cordero played 1999–2012 as a pitcher; John Franco played 1984–2005 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
Francisco Cordero (1999–2012) and John Franco (1984–2005) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Francisco Cordero finished with 47 wins and 796 strikeouts; John Franco finished with 90 wins and 975 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? John Franco, with 2.89 to Francisco Cordero's 3.38.
- Who won more games? John Franco, with 90 to Francisco Cordero's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? John Franco, with 975 to Francisco Cordero's 796.
- Who had the better WHIP? John Franco, with 1.33 to Francisco Cordero's 1.37.
- Who pitched more innings? John Franco, with 1,245.2 to Francisco Cordero's 824.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? John Franco, with 22,498 career Pitcher PIV to Francisco Cordero's 15,835.
Francisco Cordero
John Franco
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 1990s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Francisco Cordero | John Franco |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 47 | Leads: 90 |
| Losses not scored | 53 | 87 |
| Games | 800 | Leads: 1,119 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 329 | Leads: 424 |
| Strikeouts | 796 | Leads: 975 |
| Walks not scored | 375 | 495 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 751 | 1,166 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 64 | 81 |
| Innings Pitched | 824.2 | Leads: 1,245.2 |
| ERA | 3.38 | Leads: 2.89 |
| WHIP | 1.37 | Leads: 1.33 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.69 | 7.04 |
| BB/9 | 4.09 | Leads: 3.58 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Franco outpaces Francisco Cordero 22,498 to 15,835 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,071 PIV per season to 990, across 21 seasons to 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).
Francisco Cordero
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
John Franco
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, John Franco leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Francisco Cordero owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to John Franco. PIV agrees: John Franco grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Francisco Cordero and John Franco careers compare
From 1999 through 2005, Francisco Cordero and John Franco were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 800 games for Francisco Cordero and 1,119 for John Franco across 16 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Francisco Cordero comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (8.69 to 7.04). The per-nine rows read 8.69 strikeouts and 4.09 walks for Francisco Cordero, 7.04 and 3.58 for John Franco. Both had the same role: Francisco Cordero worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 800 games, 329 saves); John Franco worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 1,119 games, 424 saves).
Francisco Cordero vs John Franco: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Francisco Cordero or John Franco?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, John Franco leads Francisco Cordero in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- John Franco, with 2.89 to Francisco Cordero's 3.38.
- Who won more games?
- John Franco, with 90 to Francisco Cordero's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- John Franco, with 975 to Francisco Cordero's 796.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- John Franco, with 1.33 to Francisco Cordero's 1.37.