John Franco vs Robb Nen: Career Stats Comparison
John Franco has the better career line of the two, leading 6 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; Robb Nen played 1993–2002 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 Robb Nen (1993–2002) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. John Franco finished with 90 wins and 975 strikeouts; Robb Nen finished with 45 wins and 793 strikeouts. 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 Robb Nen's 2.98.
- Who won more games? John Franco, with 90 to Robb Nen's 45.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? John Franco, with 975 to Robb Nen's 793.
- Who had the better WHIP? Robb Nen, with 1.21 to John Franco's 1.33.
- Who pitched more innings? John Franco, with 1,245.2 to Robb Nen's 715.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Robb Nen, with 28,255 career Pitcher PIV to John Franco's 22,498.
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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | John Franco | Robb Nen |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 90 | 45 |
| Losses not scored | 87 | 42 |
| Games | Leads: 1,119 | 643 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 4 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 424 | 314 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 975 | 793 |
| Walks not scored | 495 | 260 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,166 | 607 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 81 | 51 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,245.2 | 715.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.89 | 2.98 |
| WHIP | 1.33 | Leads: 1.21 |
| K/9 | 7.04 | Leads: 9.98 |
| BB/9 | 3.58 | Leads: 3.27 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Robb Nen leads John Franco 28,255 to 22,498 — driven by per-season impact — 2,569 PIV per season to 1,071 — rather than by longevity, since Robb Nen played 11 seasons to John Franco's 21. 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.
Robb Nen
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, ERA, and innings pitched, while Robb Nen owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to John Franco. Note that PIV actually grades Robb Nen ahead, which means John Franco's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the John Franco and Robb Nen careers compare
John Franco and Robb Nen were active at the same time between 1993 and 2002. The table compares 1,119 games of John Franco with 643 of Robb Nen across 21 and 11 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Robb Nen are starts (4 to 0), WHIP (1.21 to 1.33), and strikeouts per nine (9.98 to 7.04). The per-nine rows read 7.04 strikeouts and 3.58 walks for John Franco, 9.98 and 3.27 for Robb Nen. Both had the same role: John Franco worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 1,119 games, 424 saves); Robb Nen worked mostly in relief (4 starts in 643 games, 314 saves).
John Franco vs Robb Nen: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John Franco or Robb Nen?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, John Franco leads Robb Nen in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- John Franco, with 2.89 to Robb Nen's 2.98.
- Who won more games?
- John Franco, with 90 to Robb Nen's 45.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- John Franco, with 975 to Robb Nen's 793.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Robb Nen, with 1.21 to John Franco's 1.33.