Francisco Cordero vs Joe Nathan: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Nathan 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). Francisco Cordero played 1999–2012 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
Francisco Cordero (1999–2012) and Joe Nathan (1999–2016) — both came up during the 1990s, so the matchup is a direct one. Francisco Cordero finished with 47 wins and 796 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? Joe Nathan, with 2.87 to Francisco Cordero's 3.38.
- Who won more games? Joe Nathan, with 64 to Francisco Cordero's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Joe Nathan, with 976 to Francisco Cordero's 796.
- Who had the better WHIP? Joe Nathan, with 1.12 to Francisco Cordero's 1.37.
- Who pitched more innings? Joe Nathan, with 923.1 to Francisco Cordero's 824.2.
- 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 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Francisco Cordero | Joe Nathan |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 47 | Leads: 64 |
| Losses not scored | 53 | 34 |
| Games | Leads: 800 | 787 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 29 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 329 | Leads: 377 |
| Strikeouts | 796 | Leads: 976 |
| Walks not scored | 375 | 344 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 751 | 690 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 64 | 84 |
| Innings Pitched | 824.2 | Leads: 923.1 |
| ERA | 3.38 | Leads: 2.87 |
| WHIP | 1.37 | Leads: 1.12 |
| K/9 | 8.69 | Leads: 9.51 |
| BB/9 | 4.09 | Leads: 3.35 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Nathan outpaces Francisco Cordero 22,319 to 15,835 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,313 PIV per season to 990, across 17 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.
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, ERA, and WHIP, while Francisco Cordero owns no headline categories. 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 Francisco Cordero and Joe Nathan careers compare
The careers of Francisco Cordero (1999–2012) and Joe Nathan (1999–2016) overlapped from 1999 to 2012, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 800 games against 787 across 16 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Francisco Cordero's edges on the table are games (800 to 787). By rate, Francisco Cordero struck out 8.69 and walked 4.09 per nine innings; Joe Nathan struck out 9.51 and walked 3.35. Both had the same role: Francisco Cordero worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 800 games, 329 saves); Joe Nathan worked mostly in relief (29 starts in 787 games, 377 saves).
Francisco Cordero vs Joe Nathan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Francisco Cordero or Joe Nathan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Nathan leads Francisco Cordero in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Joe Nathan, with 2.87 to Francisco Cordero's 3.38.
- Who won more games?
- Joe Nathan, with 64 to Francisco Cordero's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Joe Nathan, with 976 to Francisco Cordero's 796.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Joe Nathan, with 1.12 to Francisco Cordero's 1.37.