Eric Gagne vs Jonathan Papelbon: Career Stats Comparison
Jonathan Papelbon 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). Eric Gagne played 1999–2008 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
Eric Gagne (1999–2008) and Jonathan Papelbon (2005–2016) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Eric Gagne finished with 33 wins and 718 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 Eric Gagne's 3.47.
- Who won more games? Jonathan Papelbon, with 41 to Eric Gagne's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jonathan Papelbon, with 808 to Eric Gagne's 718.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Eric Gagne's 1.16.
- Who pitched more innings? Jonathan Papelbon, with 725.2 to Eric Gagne's 643.2.
- 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 Eric Gagne's 14,441.
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 1990s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Eric Gagne | Jonathan Papelbon |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 33 | Leads: 41 |
| Losses not scored | 26 | 36 |
| Games | 402 | Leads: 689 |
| Games Started | Leads: 48 | 3 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 187 | Leads: 368 |
| Strikeouts | 718 | Leads: 808 |
| Walks not scored | 226 | 185 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 518 | 572 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 76 | 57 |
| Innings Pitched | 643.2 | Leads: 725.2 |
| ERA | 3.47 | Leads: 2.44 |
| WHIP | 1.16 | Leads: 1.04 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.04 | 10.02 |
| BB/9 | 3.16 | Leads: 2.29 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jonathan Papelbon outpaces Eric Gagne 24,416 to 14,441 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,878 PIV per season to 1,313, across 13 seasons to 11. 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).
Eric Gagne — top 1 season 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 Eric Gagne owns K/9. 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 Eric Gagne and Jonathan Papelbon careers compare
The careers of Eric Gagne (1999–2008) and Jonathan Papelbon (2005–2016) overlapped from 2005 to 2008, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Eric Gagne appeared in 402 games to Jonathan Papelbon's 689. Eric Gagne's edges on the table are starts (48 to 3) and strikeouts per nine (10.04 to 10.02). By rate, Eric Gagne struck out 10.04 and walked 3.16 per nine innings; Jonathan Papelbon struck out 10.02 and walked 2.29. Eric Gagne worked mostly in relief (48 starts in 402 games, 187 saves), and Jonathan Papelbon worked mostly in relief (3 starts in 689 games, 368 saves).
Eric Gagne vs Jonathan Papelbon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Eric Gagne or Jonathan Papelbon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jonathan Papelbon leads Eric Gagne in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 2.44 to Eric Gagne's 3.47.
- Who won more games?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 41 to Eric Gagne's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 808 to Eric Gagne's 718.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Eric Gagne's 1.16.