Brad Hand 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). Brad Hand played 2011–2023 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
Brad Hand (2011–2023) and Jonathan Papelbon (2005–2016) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Brad Hand finished with 40 wins and 782 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 Brad Hand's 3.75.
- Who won more games? Jonathan Papelbon, with 41 to Brad Hand's 40.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jonathan Papelbon, with 808 to Brad Hand's 782.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Brad Hand's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Brad Hand, with 772.0 to Jonathan Papelbon's 725.2.
- 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 Brad Hand's 7,486.
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.
| Statistic | Brad Hand | Jonathan Papelbon |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 40 | Leads: 41 |
| Losses not scored | 55 | 36 |
| Games | 579 | Leads: 689 |
| Games Started | Leads: 43 | 3 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 132 | Leads: 368 |
| Strikeouts | 782 | Leads: 808 |
| Walks not scored | 297 | 185 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 673 | 572 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 80 | 57 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 772.0 | 725.2 |
| ERA | 3.75 | Leads: 2.44 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.04 |
| K/9 | 9.12 | Leads: 10.02 |
| BB/9 | 3.46 | Leads: 2.29 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jonathan Papelbon outpaces Brad Hand 24,416 to 7,486 — driven by per-season impact — 1,878 PIV per season to 440 — rather than by longevity, since Jonathan Papelbon played 13 seasons to Brad Hand's 17. 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).
Brad Hand
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 Brad Hand owns innings pitched. 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 Brad Hand and Jonathan Papelbon careers compare
Brad Hand and Jonathan Papelbon were active at the same time between 2011 and 2016. The two careers are close in length, 579 games for Brad Hand and 689 for Jonathan Papelbon across 17 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Brad Hand are starts (43 to 3) and innings (772.0 to 725.2). By rate, Brad Hand struck out 9.12 and walked 3.46 per nine innings; Jonathan Papelbon struck out 10.02 and walked 2.29. Both had the same role: Brad Hand worked mostly in relief (43 starts in 579 games, 132 saves); Jonathan Papelbon worked mostly in relief (3 starts in 689 games, 368 saves).
Brad Hand vs Jonathan Papelbon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Brad Hand or Jonathan Papelbon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jonathan Papelbon leads Brad Hand in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 2.44 to Brad Hand's 3.75.
- Who won more games?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 41 to Brad Hand's 40.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 808 to Brad Hand's 782.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Brad Hand's 1.26.