John Franco vs Josh Hader: Career Stats Comparison
John Franco has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). John Franco played 1984–2005 as a pitcher; Josh Hader has played 2017–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 Josh Hader (2017–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; Josh Hader has 38 wins and 884 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Josh Hader, with 2.50 to John Franco's 2.89.
- Who won more games? John Franco, with 90 to Josh Hader's 38.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? John Franco, with 975 to Josh Hader's 884.
- Who had the better WHIP? Josh Hader, with 0.92 to John Franco's 1.33.
- Who pitched more innings? John Franco, with 1,245.2 to Josh Hader's 557.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? John Franco, with 22,498 career Pitcher PIV to Josh Hader's 17,542.
John Franco
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.
Josh Hader is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | John Franco | Josh Hader |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 90 | 38 |
| Losses not scored | 87 | 33 |
| Games | Leads: 1,119 | 513 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 424 | 253 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 975 | 884 |
| Walks not scored | 495 | 213 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,166 | 301 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 81 | 66 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,245.2 | 557.0 |
| ERA | 2.89 | Leads: 2.50 |
| WHIP | 1.33 | Leads: 0.92 |
| K/9 | 7.04 | Leads: 14.28 |
| BB/9 | 3.58 | Leads: 3.44 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Franco leads Josh Hader 22,498 to 17,542 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: John Franco played 21 seasons to Josh Hader's 10, while Josh Hader carries the higher per-season figure (1,754 to 1,071). 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.
Josh Hader
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, John Franco leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Josh Hader owns ERA, 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 Josh Hader careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: John Franco's ended in 2005, and Josh Hader debuted in 2017. The table compares 1,119 games of John Franco with 513 of Josh Hader across 21 and 10 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Josh Hader's edges on the table are ERA (2.50 to 2.89), WHIP (0.92 to 1.33), and strikeouts per nine (14.28 to 7.04). The per-nine rows read 7.04 strikeouts and 3.58 walks for John Franco, 14.28 and 3.44 for Josh Hader. Both had the same role: John Franco worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 1,119 games, 424 saves); Josh Hader worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 513 games, 253 saves). Josh Hader's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
John Franco vs Josh Hader: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John Franco or Josh Hader?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, John Franco leads Josh Hader in 5 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Josh Hader, with 2.50 to John Franco's 2.89.
- Who won more games?
- John Franco, with 90 to Josh Hader's 38.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- John Franco, with 975 to Josh Hader's 884.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Josh Hader, with 0.92 to John Franco's 1.33.