Michael Fulmer vs Jonathan Papelbon: Career Stats Comparison
Jonathan Papelbon has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; 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
Michael Fulmer (2016–present) and Jonathan Papelbon (2005–2016) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Michael Fulmer has 37 wins and 596 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; 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 Michael Fulmer's 3.93.
- Who won more games? Jonathan Papelbon, with 41 to Michael Fulmer's 37.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jonathan Papelbon, with 808 to Michael Fulmer's 596.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Michael Fulmer's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Jonathan Papelbon, with 725.2 to Michael Fulmer's 693.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Michael Fulmer, with 1 to Jonathan Papelbon's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jonathan Papelbon, with 24,416 career Pitcher PIV to Michael Fulmer's 4,091.
Michael Fulmer
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, and the 2010s and the 2000s 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 | Jonathan Papelbon |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 37 | Leads: 41 |
| Losses not scored | 51 | 36 |
| Games | 280 | Leads: 689 |
| Games Started | Leads: 90 | 3 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Saves | 19 | Leads: 368 |
| Strikeouts | 596 | Leads: 808 |
| Walks not scored | 226 | 185 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 652 | 572 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 77 | 57 |
| Innings Pitched | 693.1 | Leads: 725.2 |
| ERA | 3.93 | Leads: 2.44 |
| WHIP | 1.27 | Leads: 1.04 |
| K/9 | 7.74 | Leads: 10.02 |
| BB/9 | 2.93 | Leads: 2.29 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jonathan Papelbon outpaces Michael Fulmer 24,416 to 4,091 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,878 PIV per season to 409, across 13 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)
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 Michael Fulmer 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 Michael Fulmer and Jonathan Papelbon careers compare
Michael Fulmer and Jonathan Papelbon were active at the same time between 2016 and 2016. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Michael Fulmer has appeared in 280 games to Jonathan Papelbon's 689. Michael Fulmer's edges on the table are starts (90 to 3), 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; Jonathan Papelbon struck out 10.02 and walked 2.29. Their roles differ: Michael Fulmer split time between starting and relief (90 starts in 280 games); Jonathan Papelbon worked mostly in relief (3 starts in 689 games, 368 saves). Michael Fulmer's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Michael Fulmer vs Jonathan Papelbon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Michael Fulmer or Jonathan Papelbon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jonathan Papelbon leads Michael Fulmer in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 2.44 to Michael Fulmer's 3.93.
- Who won more games?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 41 to Michael Fulmer's 37.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 808 to Michael Fulmer's 596.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Michael Fulmer's 1.27.