Rollie Fingers vs Michael Fulmer: Career Stats Comparison
Rollie Fingers has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Rollie Fingers played 1968–1985 as a pitcher; Michael Fulmer has played 2016–present 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
Rollie Fingers (1968–1985) and Michael Fulmer (2016–present) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Rollie Fingers finished with 114 wins and 1,299 strikeouts; Michael Fulmer has 37 wins and 596 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Rollie Fingers, with 2.90 to Michael Fulmer's 3.93.
- Who won more games? Rollie Fingers, with 114 to Michael Fulmer's 37.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rollie Fingers, with 1,299 to Michael Fulmer's 596.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rollie Fingers, with 1.16 to Michael Fulmer's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Rollie Fingers, with 1,701.1 to Michael Fulmer's 693.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Rollie Fingers, with 2 to Michael Fulmer's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Rollie Fingers, with 33,082 career Pitcher PIV to Michael Fulmer's 4,091.
Rollie Fingers
Michael Fulmer
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 1960s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Michael Fulmer is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Rollie Fingers | Michael Fulmer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 114 | 37 |
| Losses not scored | 118 | 51 |
| Games | Leads: 944 | 280 |
| Games Started | 37 | Leads: 90 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 4 | 2 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 2 | 1 |
| Saves | Leads: 341 | 19 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,299 | 596 |
| Walks not scored | 492 | 226 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,474 | 652 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 123 | 77 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,701.1 | 693.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.90 | 3.93 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.16 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | 6.87 | Leads: 7.74 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.60 | 2.93 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rollie Fingers outpaces Michael Fulmer 33,082 to 4,091 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,946 PIV per season to 409, across 17 seasons to 10. 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).
Rollie Fingers — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Michael Fulmer — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rollie Fingers leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Michael Fulmer owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rollie Fingers. PIV agrees: Rollie Fingers grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rollie Fingers and Michael Fulmer careers compare
Rollie Fingers (1968–1985) was finished before Michael Fulmer (2016–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Rollie Fingers appeared in 944 games to Michael Fulmer's 280. The green cells for Michael Fulmer are starts (90 to 37) and strikeouts per nine (7.74 to 6.87). The per-nine rows read 6.87 strikeouts and 2.60 walks for Rollie Fingers, 7.74 and 2.93 for Michael Fulmer. Rollie Fingers worked mostly in relief (37 starts in 944 games, 341 saves), while Michael Fulmer split time between starting and relief (90 starts in 280 games). In WHIP, Rollie Fingers's 1.16 beats Michael Fulmer's 1.27. Because Michael Fulmer is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Rollie Fingers vs Michael Fulmer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rollie Fingers or Michael Fulmer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rollie Fingers leads Michael Fulmer in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rollie Fingers, with 2.90 to Michael Fulmer's 3.93.
- Who won more games?
- Rollie Fingers, with 114 to Michael Fulmer's 37.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rollie Fingers, with 1,299 to Michael Fulmer's 596.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rollie Fingers, with 1.16 to Michael Fulmer's 1.27.