Francisco Cordero vs Jose Valverde: Career Stats Comparison
Francisco Cordero has the better career line of the two, leading 5 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; Jose Valverde played 2003–2014 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 Jose Valverde (2003–2014) — 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; Jose Valverde finished with 27 wins and 692 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Jose Valverde, with 3.27 to Francisco Cordero's 3.38.
- Who won more games? Francisco Cordero, with 47 to Jose Valverde's 27.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Francisco Cordero, with 796 to Jose Valverde's 692.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jose Valverde, with 1.20 to Francisco Cordero's 1.37.
- Who pitched more innings? Francisco Cordero, with 824.2 to Jose Valverde's 630.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Francisco Cordero, with 15,835 career Pitcher PIV to Jose Valverde's 9,113.
Francisco Cordero
Jose Valverde
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 | Jose Valverde |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 47 | 27 |
| Losses not scored | 53 | 33 |
| Games | Leads: 800 | 626 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 329 | 288 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 796 | 692 |
| Walks not scored | 375 | 264 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 751 | 490 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 64 | 67 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 824.2 | 630.1 |
| ERA | 3.38 | Leads: 3.27 |
| WHIP | 1.37 | Leads: 1.20 |
| K/9 | 8.69 | Leads: 9.88 |
| BB/9 | 4.09 | Leads: 3.77 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Francisco Cordero outpaces Jose Valverde 15,835 to 9,113 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 990 PIV per season to 759, across 16 seasons to 12. 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.
Jose Valverde
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Francisco Cordero leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Jose Valverde owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Francisco Cordero. PIV agrees: Francisco Cordero 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 Jose Valverde careers compare
Francisco Cordero and Jose Valverde were active at the same time between 2003 and 2012. With 800 games against 626 across 16 and 12 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Jose Valverde comes out ahead, it is in ERA (3.27 to 3.38), WHIP (1.20 to 1.37), and strikeouts per nine (9.88 to 8.69). The per-nine rows read 8.69 strikeouts and 4.09 walks for Francisco Cordero, 9.88 and 3.77 for Jose Valverde. Francisco Cordero worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 800 games, 329 saves), and Jose Valverde worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 626 games, 288 saves). Jose Valverde allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.20 WHIP to Francisco Cordero's 1.37.
Francisco Cordero vs Jose Valverde: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Francisco Cordero or Jose Valverde?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Francisco Cordero leads Jose Valverde in 5 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jose Valverde, with 3.27 to Francisco Cordero's 3.38.
- Who won more games?
- Francisco Cordero, with 47 to Jose Valverde's 27.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Francisco Cordero, with 796 to Jose Valverde's 692.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jose Valverde, with 1.20 to Francisco Cordero's 1.37.