John Franco vs Michael Fulmer: Career Stats Comparison
John Franco and Michael Fulmer are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). John Franco played 1984–2005 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
John Franco (1984–2005) and Michael Fulmer (2016–present) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. John Franco finished with 90 wins and 975 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? John Franco, with 2.89 to Michael Fulmer's 3.93.
- Who won more games? John Franco, with 90 to Michael Fulmer's 37.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? John Franco, with 975 to Michael Fulmer's 596.
- Who had the better WHIP? Michael Fulmer, with 1.27 to John Franco's 1.33.
- Who pitched more innings? John Franco, with 1,245.2 to Michael Fulmer's 693.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Michael Fulmer, with 1 to John Franco's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? John Franco, with 22,498 career Pitcher PIV to Michael Fulmer's 4,091.
John Franco
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 1980s 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 | John Franco | Michael Fulmer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 90 | 37 |
| Losses not scored | 87 | 51 |
| Games | Leads: 1,119 | 280 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 90 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 2 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Saves | Leads: 424 | 19 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 975 | 596 |
| Walks not scored | 495 | 226 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,166 | 652 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 81 | 77 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,245.2 | 693.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.89 | 3.93 |
| WHIP | 1.33 | Leads: 1.27 |
| K/9 | 7.04 | Leads: 7.74 |
| BB/9 | 3.58 | Leads: 2.93 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Franco outpaces Michael Fulmer 22,498 to 4,091 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,071 PIV per season to 409, across 21 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).
John Franco
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Michael Fulmer — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, John Franco leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Michael Fulmer owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to John Franco. PIV agrees: John Franco grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the John Franco and Michael Fulmer careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: John Franco's ended in 2005, and Michael Fulmer debuted in 2016. John Franco has the far longer record, 1,119 games against 280 across 21 and 10 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. By rate, John Franco struck out 7.04 and walked 3.58 per nine innings; Michael Fulmer struck out 7.74 and walked 2.93. Their roles differ: John Franco worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 1,119 games, 424 saves); Michael Fulmer split time between starting and relief (90 starts in 280 games). In WHIP, Michael Fulmer's 1.27 beats John Franco's 1.33. John Franco has no qualifying season for the peak list, while Michael Fulmer's best is 2016. Michael Fulmer's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
John Franco vs Michael Fulmer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- John Franco, with 2.89 to Michael Fulmer's 3.93.
- Who won more games?
- John Franco, with 90 to Michael Fulmer's 37.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- John Franco, with 975 to Michael Fulmer's 596.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Michael Fulmer, with 1.27 to John Franco's 1.33.