Rollie Fingers vs Willie Hernandez: Career Stats Comparison
Rollie Fingers has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Willie Hernandez played 1977–1989 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 Willie Hernandez (1977–1989) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Rollie Fingers finished with 114 wins and 1,299 strikeouts; Willie Hernandez finished with 70 wins and 788 strikeouts. 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 Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games? Rollie Fingers, with 114 to Willie Hernandez's 70.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rollie Fingers, with 1,299 to Willie Hernandez's 788.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rollie Fingers, with 1.16 to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Rollie Fingers, with 1,701.1 to Willie Hernandez's 1,044.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Rollie Fingers, with 2 to Willie Hernandez's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Rollie Fingers, with 33,082 career Pitcher PIV to Willie Hernandez's 10,045.
Rollie Fingers
Willie Hernandez
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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rollie Fingers | Willie Hernandez |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 114 | 70 |
| Losses not scored | 118 | 63 |
| Games | Leads: 944 | 744 |
| Games Started | Leads: 37 | 11 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 4 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 341 | 147 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,299 | 788 |
| Walks not scored | 492 | 349 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,474 | 952 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 123 | 97 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,701.1 | 1,044.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.90 | 3.38 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.16 | 1.25 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.87 | 6.79 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.60 | 3.01 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rollie Fingers outpaces Willie Hernandez 33,082 to 10,045 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,946 PIV per season to 718, across 17 seasons to 14. 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)
Willie Hernandez — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rollie Fingers leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Willie Hernandez owns no headline categories. 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 Willie Hernandez careers compare
Rollie Fingers and Willie Hernandez were active at the same time between 1977 and 1985. With 944 games against 744 across 17 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Rollie Fingers leads every scored row of the table. The per-nine rows read 6.87 strikeouts and 2.60 walks for Rollie Fingers, 6.79 and 3.01 for Willie Hernandez. Rollie Fingers worked mostly in relief (37 starts in 944 games, 341 saves), and Willie Hernandez worked mostly in relief (11 starts in 744 games, 147 saves). Rollie Fingers allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.16 WHIP to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.
Rollie Fingers vs Willie Hernandez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rollie Fingers or Willie Hernandez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rollie Fingers leads Willie Hernandez in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rollie Fingers, with 2.90 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games?
- Rollie Fingers, with 114 to Willie Hernandez's 70.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rollie Fingers, with 1,299 to Willie Hernandez's 788.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rollie Fingers, with 1.16 to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.