Rollie Fingers vs Billy Wagner: Career Stats Comparison
Rollie Fingers 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). Rollie Fingers played 1968–1985 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
Rollie Fingers (1968–1985) and Billy Wagner (1995–2010) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Rollie Fingers finished with 114 wins and 1,299 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 Rollie Fingers's 2.90.
- Who won more games? Rollie Fingers, with 114 to Billy Wagner's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rollie Fingers, with 1,299 to Billy Wagner's 1,196.
- Who had the better WHIP? Billy Wagner, with 1.00 to Rollie Fingers's 1.16.
- Who pitched more innings? Rollie Fingers, with 1,701.1 to Billy Wagner's 903.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Rollie Fingers, with 2 to Billy Wagner's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Billy Wagner, with 38,470 career Pitcher PIV to Rollie Fingers's 33,082.
Rollie Fingers
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 1960s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rollie Fingers | Billy Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 114 | 47 |
| Losses not scored | 118 | 40 |
| Games | Leads: 944 | 853 |
| Games Started | Leads: 37 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 4 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Saves | 341 | Leads: 422 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,299 | 1,196 |
| Walks not scored | 492 | 300 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,474 | 601 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 123 | 82 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,701.1 | 903.0 |
| ERA | 2.90 | Leads: 2.31 |
| WHIP | 1.16 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | 6.87 | Leads: 11.92 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.60 | 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Wagner leads Rollie Fingers 38,470 to 33,082 — driven by per-season impact — 2,263 PIV per season to 1,946 — rather than by longevity, since Billy Wagner played 17 seasons to Rollie Fingers's 17. 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)
Billy Wagner
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Billy Wagner leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Rollie Fingers owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Billy Wagner. PIV agrees: Billy Wagner 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 Billy Wagner careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Rollie Fingers's ended in 1985, and Billy Wagner debuted in 1995. With 944 games against 853 across 17 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Billy Wagner comes out ahead, it is in saves (422 to 341), ERA (2.31 to 2.90), and WHIP (1.00 to 1.16). The per-nine rows read 6.87 strikeouts and 2.60 walks for Rollie Fingers, 11.92 and 2.99 for Billy Wagner. Both had the same role: Rollie Fingers worked mostly in relief (37 starts in 944 games, 341 saves); Billy Wagner worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 853 games, 422 saves).
Rollie Fingers vs Billy Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rollie Fingers or Billy Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rollie Fingers leads Billy Wagner in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Billy Wagner, with 2.31 to Rollie Fingers's 2.90.
- Who won more games?
- Rollie Fingers, with 114 to Billy Wagner's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rollie Fingers, with 1,299 to Billy Wagner's 1,196.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Billy Wagner, with 1.00 to Rollie Fingers's 1.16.