Brian Fuentes vs Jonathan Papelbon: Career Stats Comparison
Jonathan Papelbon has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Brian Fuentes played 2001–2012 as a pitcher; Jonathan Papelbon played 2005–2016 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
Brian Fuentes (2001–2012) and Jonathan Papelbon (2005–2016) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Brian Fuentes finished with 26 wins and 639 strikeouts; Jonathan Papelbon finished with 41 wins and 808 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Jonathan Papelbon, with 2.44 to Brian Fuentes's 3.62.
- Who won more games? Jonathan Papelbon, with 41 to Brian Fuentes's 26.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jonathan Papelbon, with 808 to Brian Fuentes's 639.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Brian Fuentes's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Jonathan Papelbon, with 725.2 to Brian Fuentes's 613.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jonathan Papelbon, with 24,416 career Pitcher PIV to Brian Fuentes's 6,603.
Brian Fuentes
Jonathan Papelbon
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Brian Fuentes | Jonathan Papelbon |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 26 | Leads: 41 |
| Losses not scored | 43 | 36 |
| Games | 650 | Leads: 689 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 3 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 204 | Leads: 368 |
| Strikeouts | 639 | Leads: 808 |
| Walks not scored | 258 | 185 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 515 | 572 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 64 | 57 |
| Innings Pitched | 613.1 | Leads: 725.2 |
| ERA | 3.62 | Leads: 2.44 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.04 |
| K/9 | 9.38 | Leads: 10.02 |
| BB/9 | 3.79 | Leads: 2.29 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jonathan Papelbon outpaces Brian Fuentes 24,416 to 6,603 — driven by per-season impact — 1,878 PIV per season to 472 — rather than by longevity, since Jonathan Papelbon played 13 seasons to Brian Fuentes's 14. 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).
Brian Fuentes
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Jonathan Papelbon
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jonathan Papelbon leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Brian Fuentes owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jonathan Papelbon. PIV agrees: Jonathan Papelbon grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Brian Fuentes and Jonathan Papelbon careers compare
Brian Fuentes and Jonathan Papelbon were active at the same time between 2005 and 2012. The two careers are close in length, 650 games for Brian Fuentes and 689 for Jonathan Papelbon across 14 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Every scored category on the table goes to Jonathan Papelbon. The per-nine rows read 9.38 strikeouts and 3.79 walks for Brian Fuentes, 10.02 and 2.29 for Jonathan Papelbon. Brian Fuentes worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 650 games, 204 saves), and Jonathan Papelbon worked mostly in relief (3 starts in 689 games, 368 saves). Jonathan Papelbon allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.04 WHIP to Brian Fuentes's 1.26.
Brian Fuentes vs Jonathan Papelbon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Brian Fuentes or Jonathan Papelbon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jonathan Papelbon leads Brian Fuentes in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 2.44 to Brian Fuentes's 3.62.
- Who won more games?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 41 to Brian Fuentes's 26.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 808 to Brian Fuentes's 639.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Brian Fuentes's 1.26.