Dennis Eckersley vs Billy Wagner: 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; Billy Wagner played 1995–2010 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 Billy Wagner (1995–2010) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Dennis Eckersley finished with 197 wins and 2,401 strikeouts; Billy Wagner finished with 47 wins and 1,196 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Billy Wagner, with 2.31 to Dennis Eckersley's 3.50.
- Who won more games? Dennis Eckersley, with 197 to Billy Wagner's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Dennis Eckersley, with 2,401 to Billy Wagner's 1,196.
- Who had the better WHIP? Billy Wagner, with 1.00 to Dennis Eckersley's 1.16.
- Who pitched more innings? Dennis Eckersley, with 3,285.2 to Billy Wagner's 903.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Dennis Eckersley, with 20 to Billy Wagner's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Dennis Eckersley, with 41,139 career Pitcher PIV to Billy Wagner's 38,470.
Dennis Eckersley
Billy Wagner
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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dennis Eckersley | Billy Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 197 | 47 |
| Losses not scored | 171 | 40 |
| Games | Leads: 1,071 | 853 |
| Games Started | Leads: 361 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 100 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 20 | 0 |
| Saves | 390 | Leads: 422 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,401 | 1,196 |
| Walks not scored | 738 | 300 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,076 | 601 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 347 | 82 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,285.2 | 903.0 |
| ERA | 3.50 | Leads: 2.31 |
| WHIP | 1.16 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | 6.58 | Leads: 11.92 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.02 | 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dennis Eckersley edges Billy Wagner 41,139 to 38,470 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Dennis Eckersley played 25 seasons to Billy Wagner's 17, while Billy Wagner carries the higher per-season figure (2,263 to 1,646). 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)
Billy Wagner
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 Billy Wagner 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 Billy Wagner careers compare
The careers of Dennis Eckersley (1975–1998) and Billy Wagner (1995–2010) overlapped from 1995 to 1998, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,071 games for Dennis Eckersley and 853 for Billy Wagner across 25 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Billy Wagner are saves (422 to 390), ERA (2.31 to 3.50), and WHIP (1.00 to 1.16). The per-nine rows read 6.58 strikeouts and 2.02 walks for Dennis Eckersley, 11.92 and 2.99 for Billy Wagner.
Dennis Eckersley vs Billy Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dennis Eckersley or Billy Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dennis Eckersley leads Billy Wagner in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Billy Wagner, with 2.31 to Dennis Eckersley's 3.50.
- Who won more games?
- Dennis Eckersley, with 197 to Billy Wagner's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Dennis Eckersley, with 2,401 to Billy Wagner's 1,196.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Billy Wagner, with 1.00 to Dennis Eckersley's 1.16.