Rollie Fingers vs Francisco Rodriguez: Career Stats Comparison
Rollie Fingers has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; 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
Rollie Fingers (1968–1985) and Francisco Rodriguez (2002–2017) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Rollie Fingers finished with 114 wins and 1,299 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 Rollie Fingers's 2.90.
- Who won more games? Rollie Fingers, with 114 to Francisco Rodriguez's 52.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rollie Fingers, with 1,299 to Francisco Rodriguez's 1,142.
- Who had the better WHIP? Francisco Rodriguez, with 1.15 to Rollie Fingers's 1.16.
- Who pitched more innings? Rollie Fingers, with 1,701.1 to Francisco Rodriguez's 976.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Rollie Fingers, with 2 to Francisco Rodriguez's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Rollie Fingers, with 33,082 career Pitcher PIV to Francisco Rodriguez's 21,669.
Rollie Fingers
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 1960s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rollie Fingers | Francisco Rodriguez |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 114 | 52 |
| Losses not scored | 118 | 53 |
| Games | 944 | Leads: 948 |
| Games Started | Leads: 37 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 4 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Saves | 341 | Leads: 437 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,299 | 1,142 |
| Walks not scored | 492 | 389 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,474 | 738 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 123 | 98 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,701.1 | 976.0 |
| ERA | 2.90 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | 1.16 | Leads: 1.15 |
| K/9 | 6.87 | Leads: 10.53 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.60 | 3.59 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rollie Fingers outpaces Francisco Rodriguez 33,082 to 21,669 — driven by per-season impact — 1,946 PIV per season to 1,204 — rather than by longevity, since Rollie Fingers played 17 seasons to Francisco Rodriguez's 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).
Rollie Fingers — 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, Rollie Fingers 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 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 Francisco Rodriguez careers compare
Rollie Fingers (1968–1985) was finished before Francisco Rodriguez (2002–2017) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 944 games for Rollie Fingers and 948 for Francisco Rodriguez across 17 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. By rate, Rollie Fingers struck out 6.87 and walked 2.60 per nine innings; Francisco Rodriguez struck out 10.53 and walked 3.59. Rollie Fingers worked mostly in relief (37 starts in 944 games, 341 saves), and Francisco Rodriguez worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 948 games, 437 saves). Francisco Rodriguez allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.15 WHIP to Rollie Fingers's 1.16.
Rollie Fingers vs Francisco Rodriguez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rollie Fingers or Francisco Rodriguez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rollie Fingers leads Francisco Rodriguez in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 2.86 to Rollie Fingers's 2.90.
- Who won more games?
- Rollie Fingers, with 114 to Francisco Rodriguez's 52.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rollie Fingers, with 1,299 to Francisco Rodriguez's 1,142.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 1.15 to Rollie Fingers's 1.16.