Dennis Eckersley vs Francisco Rodriguez: Career Stats Comparison
Dennis Eckersley 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). Dennis Eckersley played 1975–1998 as a pitcher; Francisco Rodriguez played 2002–2017 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
Dennis Eckersley (1975–1998) and Francisco Rodriguez (2002–2017) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Dennis Eckersley finished with 197 wins and 2,401 strikeouts; Francisco Rodriguez finished with 52 wins and 1,142 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Francisco Rodriguez, with 2.86 to Dennis Eckersley's 3.50.
- Who won more games? Dennis Eckersley, with 197 to Francisco Rodriguez's 52.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Dennis Eckersley, with 2,401 to Francisco Rodriguez's 1,142.
- Who had the better WHIP? Francisco Rodriguez, with 1.15 to Dennis Eckersley's 1.16.
- Who pitched more innings? Dennis Eckersley, with 3,285.2 to Francisco Rodriguez's 976.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Dennis Eckersley, with 20 to Francisco Rodriguez's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Dennis Eckersley, with 41,139 career Pitcher PIV to Francisco Rodriguez's 21,669.
Dennis Eckersley
Francisco Rodriguez
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 1970s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dennis Eckersley | Francisco Rodriguez |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 197 | 52 |
| Losses not scored | 171 | 53 |
| Games | Leads: 1,071 | 948 |
| Games Started | Leads: 361 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 100 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 20 | 0 |
| Saves | 390 | Leads: 437 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,401 | 1,142 |
| Walks not scored | 738 | 389 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,076 | 738 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 347 | 98 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,285.2 | 976.0 |
| ERA | 3.50 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | 1.16 | Leads: 1.15 |
| K/9 | 6.58 | Leads: 10.53 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.02 | 3.59 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dennis Eckersley outpaces Francisco Rodriguez 41,139 to 21,669 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,646 PIV per season to 1,204, across 25 seasons to 18. 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).
Dennis Eckersley — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Francisco Rodriguez
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dennis Eckersley leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Francisco Rodriguez owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dennis Eckersley. PIV agrees: Dennis Eckersley grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Dennis Eckersley and Francisco Rodriguez careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Dennis Eckersley's ended in 1998, and Francisco Rodriguez debuted in 2002. With 1,071 games against 948 across 25 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Francisco Rodriguez are saves (437 to 390), ERA (2.86 to 3.50), and WHIP (1.15 to 1.16). The per-nine rows read 6.58 strikeouts and 2.02 walks for Dennis Eckersley, 10.53 and 3.59 for Francisco Rodriguez. Dennis Eckersley split time between starting and relief (361 starts in 1,071 games), while Francisco Rodriguez worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 948 games, 437 saves). Complete games (100 to 0) show how differently the two eras used starters.
Dennis Eckersley vs Francisco Rodriguez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dennis Eckersley or Francisco Rodriguez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dennis Eckersley leads Francisco Rodriguez in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 2.86 to Dennis Eckersley's 3.50.
- Who won more games?
- Dennis Eckersley, with 197 to Francisco Rodriguez's 52.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Dennis Eckersley, with 2,401 to Francisco Rodriguez's 1,142.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 1.15 to Dennis Eckersley's 1.16.