Michael Fulmer vs Joe Nathan: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Nathan 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). Michael Fulmer has played 2016–present as a pitcher; Joe Nathan played 1999–2016 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
Michael Fulmer (2016–present) and Joe Nathan (1999–2016) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Michael Fulmer has 37 wins and 596 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Joe Nathan finished with 64 wins and 976 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Joe Nathan, with 2.87 to Michael Fulmer's 3.93.
- Who won more games? Joe Nathan, with 64 to Michael Fulmer's 37.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Joe Nathan, with 976 to Michael Fulmer's 596.
- Who had the better WHIP? Joe Nathan, with 1.12 to Michael Fulmer's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Joe Nathan, with 923.1 to Michael Fulmer's 693.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Michael Fulmer, with 1 to Joe Nathan's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Joe Nathan, with 22,319 career Pitcher PIV to Michael Fulmer's 4,091.
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 2010s and the 1990s 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 | Michael Fulmer | Joe Nathan |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 37 | Leads: 64 |
| Losses not scored | 51 | 34 |
| Games | 280 | Leads: 787 |
| Games Started | Leads: 90 | 29 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Saves | 19 | Leads: 377 |
| Strikeouts | 596 | Leads: 976 |
| Walks not scored | 226 | 344 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 652 | 690 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 77 | 84 |
| Innings Pitched | 693.1 | Leads: 923.1 |
| ERA | 3.93 | Leads: 2.87 |
| WHIP | 1.27 | Leads: 1.12 |
| K/9 | 7.74 | Leads: 9.51 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.93 | 3.35 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Nathan outpaces Michael Fulmer 22,319 to 4,091 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,313 PIV per season to 409, across 17 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).
Michael Fulmer — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Joe Nathan
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe Nathan leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Michael Fulmer owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Joe Nathan. PIV agrees: Joe Nathan grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Michael Fulmer and Joe Nathan careers compare
From 2016 through 2016, Michael Fulmer and Joe Nathan were in the majors together. Joe Nathan has the far longer record, 787 games against 280 across 10 and 17 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Michael Fulmer are starts (90 to 29), complete games (2 to 0), and shutouts (1 to 0). By rate, Michael Fulmer struck out 7.74 and walked 2.93 per nine innings; Joe Nathan struck out 9.51 and walked 3.35. Their roles differ: Michael Fulmer split time between starting and relief (90 starts in 280 games); Joe Nathan worked mostly in relief (29 starts in 787 games, 377 saves). Michael Fulmer's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Michael Fulmer vs Joe Nathan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Michael Fulmer or Joe Nathan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Nathan leads Michael Fulmer in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Joe Nathan, with 2.87 to Michael Fulmer's 3.93.
- Who won more games?
- Joe Nathan, with 64 to Michael Fulmer's 37.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Joe Nathan, with 976 to Michael Fulmer's 596.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Joe Nathan, with 1.12 to Michael Fulmer's 1.27.