Francisco Cordero vs Brad Lidge: Career Stats Comparison
Francisco Cordero has the better career line of the two, leading 6 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; Brad Lidge played 2002–2012 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 Brad Lidge (2002–2012) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Francisco Cordero finished with 47 wins and 796 strikeouts; Brad Lidge finished with 26 wins and 799 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Francisco Cordero, with 3.38 to Brad Lidge's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Francisco Cordero, with 47 to Brad Lidge's 26.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Brad Lidge, with 799 to Francisco Cordero's 796.
- Who had the better WHIP? Brad Lidge, with 1.29 to Francisco Cordero's 1.37.
- Who pitched more innings? Francisco Cordero, with 824.2 to Brad Lidge's 603.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Brad Lidge, with 17,126 career Pitcher PIV to Francisco Cordero's 15,835.
Francisco Cordero
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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Francisco Cordero | Brad Lidge |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 47 | 26 |
| Losses not scored | 53 | 32 |
| Games | Leads: 800 | 603 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 329 | 225 |
| Strikeouts | 796 | Leads: 799 |
| Walks not scored | 375 | 287 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 751 | 492 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 64 | 57 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 824.2 | 603.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.38 | 3.54 |
| WHIP | 1.37 | Leads: 1.29 |
| K/9 | 8.69 | Leads: 11.92 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 4.09 | 4.28 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Brad Lidge edges Francisco Cordero 17,126 to 15,835 — driven by per-season impact — 1,557 PIV per season to 990 — rather than by longevity, since Brad Lidge played 11 seasons to Francisco Cordero'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).
Francisco Cordero
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Brad Lidge
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Brad Lidge leads in strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Francisco Cordero owns wins, ERA, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Brad Lidge. PIV agrees: Brad Lidge 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 Brad Lidge careers compare
From 2002 through 2012, Francisco Cordero and Brad Lidge were in the majors together. With 800 games against 603 across 16 and 11 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Brad Lidge's edges on the table are starts (1 to 0), strikeouts (799 to 796), and WHIP (1.29 to 1.37). By rate, Francisco Cordero struck out 8.69 and walked 4.09 per nine innings; Brad Lidge struck out 11.92 and walked 4.28. Both had the same role: Francisco Cordero worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 800 games, 329 saves); Brad Lidge worked mostly in relief (1 starts in 603 games, 225 saves). In WHIP, Brad Lidge's 1.29 beats Francisco Cordero's 1.37.
Francisco Cordero vs Brad Lidge: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Francisco Cordero or Brad Lidge?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Francisco Cordero leads Brad Lidge in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Francisco Cordero, with 3.38 to Brad Lidge's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Francisco Cordero, with 47 to Brad Lidge's 26.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Brad Lidge, with 799 to Francisco Cordero's 796.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Brad Lidge, with 1.29 to Francisco Cordero's 1.37.