Kelvim Escobar vs Mariano Rivera: Career Stats Comparison
Kelvim Escobar and Mariano Rivera played different roles, so their careers are compared side by side rather than scored against each other. Kelvim Escobar played 1997–2009 as a starting pitcher; Mariano Rivera played 1995–2013 as a relief 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
Kelvim Escobar (1997–2009) and Mariano Rivera (1995–2013) held different pitching jobs, so this page does not score them category by category. Kelvim Escobar worked mainly as a starter, with 202 starts and 101 wins; Mariano Rivera worked mainly in relief, with 1,115 games and 652 saves. Each career is shown below in its own role, with Pitcher PIV as the comparison.
Quick answer
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Mariano Rivera, with 52,571 career Pitcher PIV to Kelvim Escobar's 25,219.
- Who won more championships? Mariano Rivera, with 5 World Series titles to Kelvim Escobar's 0.
Kelvim Escobar
Mariano Rivera
Career Stats, Each in His Own Role
Kelvim Escobar is shown as a starter and Mariano Rivera as a reliever. Nothing is marked as a category winner, because a starter's totals and a reliever's totals measure different jobs.
Kelvim Escobar — Starting Pitcher
| Statistic | Kelvim Escobar |
|---|---|
| Wins | 101 |
| Losses | 91 |
| Games | 411 |
| Games Started | 202 |
| Complete Games | 10 |
| Shutouts | 4 |
| Saves | 59 |
| Strikeouts | 1,310 |
| Walks | 611 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,461 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 137 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,507.0 |
| ERA | 4.15 |
| WHIP | 1.37 |
| K/9 | 7.82 |
| BB/9 | 3.65 |
Mariano Rivera — Relief Pitcher
| Statistic | Mariano Rivera |
|---|---|
| Wins | 82 |
| Losses | 60 |
| Games | 1,115 |
| Games Started | 10 |
| Complete Games | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 |
| Saves | 652 |
| Strikeouts | 1,173 |
| Walks | 286 |
| Hits Allowed | 998 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 71 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,283.2 |
| ERA | 2.21 |
| WHIP | 1.00 |
| K/9 | 8.22 |
| BB/9 | 2.01 |
PIV Comparison
Kelvim Escobar carries a career Pitcher PIV of 25,219; Mariano Rivera carries a career Pitcher PIV of 52,571. Mariano Rivera is the higher of the two at 52,571 to 25,219. Pitcher PIV scores each season against that season's league and weights it by workload, so a starter's innings add to his total.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings for a starter, 40+ for a reliever).
Kelvim Escobar — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Mariano Rivera — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Kelvim Escobar and Mariano Rivera: one worked mainly as a starter and the other mainly in relief. On Pitcher PIV, Mariano Rivera is higher, 52,571 to 25,219. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Kelvim Escobar and Mariano Rivera careers compare
The careers of Kelvim Escobar (1997–2009) and Mariano Rivera (1995–2013) overlapped from 1997 to 2009, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. As a pitcher, Kelvim Escobar went 101-91 with a 4.15 ERA and 1,310 strikeouts. Mariano Rivera's pitching card shows 82 wins, a 2.21 ERA and 1,173 strikeouts. One worked mainly as a starter and the other mainly in relief, so the page keeps their statistics in separate tables and compares them on Pitcher PIV. On the peak-season lists, Kelvim Escobar's best year is 2007 at 3.40 ERA and Mariano Rivera's is 2005 at 1.38 ERA; Mariano Rivera has the stronger single season.
Kelvim Escobar vs Mariano Rivera: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV?
- Mariano Rivera, with 52,571 career Pitcher PIV to Kelvim Escobar's 25,219.
- Who won more championships?
- Mariano Rivera, with 5 World Series titles to Kelvim Escobar's 0.
- How do Kelvim Escobar and Mariano Rivera compare?
- Kelvim Escobar played 1997–2009 and Mariano Rivera played 1995–2013; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.