Liam Hendriks vs Joe Nathan: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Nathan has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Liam Hendriks played 2011–2025 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
Liam Hendriks (2011–2025) and Joe Nathan (1999–2016) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Liam Hendriks finished with 33 wins and 739 strikeouts; 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 Liam Hendriks's 3.88.
- Who won more games? Joe Nathan, with 64 to Liam Hendriks's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Joe Nathan, with 976 to Liam Hendriks's 739.
- Who had the better WHIP? Joe Nathan, with 1.12 to Liam Hendriks's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Joe Nathan, with 923.1 to Liam Hendriks's 663.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Joe Nathan, with 22,319 career Pitcher PIV to Liam Hendriks's 14,422.
Liam Hendriks
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.
| Statistic | Liam Hendriks | Joe Nathan |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 33 | Leads: 64 |
| Losses not scored | 36 | 34 |
| Games | 490 | Leads: 787 |
| Games Started | Leads: 44 | 29 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 116 | Leads: 377 |
| Strikeouts | 739 | Leads: 976 |
| Walks not scored | 166 | 344 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 630 | 690 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 79 | 84 |
| Innings Pitched | 663.2 | Leads: 923.1 |
| ERA | 3.88 | Leads: 2.87 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.12 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.02 | 9.51 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.25 | 3.35 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Nathan outpaces Liam Hendriks 22,319 to 14,422 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,313 PIV per season to 961, across 17 seasons to 15. 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).
Liam Hendriks
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
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 Liam Hendriks owns K/9. 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 Liam Hendriks and Joe Nathan careers compare
The careers of Liam Hendriks (2011–2025) and Joe Nathan (1999–2016) overlapped from 2011 to 2016, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Joe Nathan has the far longer record, 787 games against 490 across 15 and 17 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Liam Hendriks's edges on the table are starts (44 to 29), complete games (1 to 0), and strikeouts per nine (10.02 to 9.51). By rate, Liam Hendriks struck out 10.02 and walked 2.25 per nine innings; Joe Nathan struck out 9.51 and walked 3.35.
Liam Hendriks vs Joe Nathan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Liam Hendriks or Joe Nathan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Nathan leads Liam Hendriks in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Joe Nathan, with 2.87 to Liam Hendriks's 3.88.
- Who won more games?
- Joe Nathan, with 64 to Liam Hendriks's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Joe Nathan, with 976 to Liam Hendriks's 739.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Joe Nathan, with 1.12 to Liam Hendriks's 1.20.