Willie Hernandez 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). Willie Hernandez played 1977–1989 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
Willie Hernandez (1977–1989) and Joe Nathan (1999–2016) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Willie Hernandez finished with 70 wins and 788 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 Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games? Willie Hernandez, with 70 to Joe Nathan's 64.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Joe Nathan, with 976 to Willie Hernandez's 788.
- Who had the better WHIP? Joe Nathan, with 1.12 to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Willie Hernandez, with 1,044.2 to Joe Nathan's 923.1.
- 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 Willie Hernandez's 10,045.
Willie Hernandez
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 1970s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie Hernandez | Joe Nathan |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 70 | 64 |
| Losses not scored | 63 | 34 |
| Games | 744 | Leads: 787 |
| Games Started | 11 | Leads: 29 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 147 | Leads: 377 |
| Strikeouts | 788 | Leads: 976 |
| Walks not scored | 349 | 344 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 952 | 690 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 84 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,044.2 | 923.1 |
| ERA | 3.38 | Leads: 2.87 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | Leads: 1.12 |
| K/9 | 6.79 | Leads: 9.51 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.01 | 3.35 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Nathan outpaces Willie Hernandez 22,319 to 10,045 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,313 PIV per season to 718, across 17 seasons to 14. 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).
Willie Hernandez — top 1 season 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 strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Willie Hernandez owns wins and innings pitched. 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 Willie Hernandez and Joe Nathan careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Willie Hernandez's ended in 1989, and Joe Nathan debuted in 1999. The two careers are close in length, 744 games for Willie Hernandez and 787 for Joe Nathan across 14 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Willie Hernandez's edges on the table are wins (70 to 64), innings (1,044.2 to 923.1), and walks per nine (3.01 to 3.35). The per-nine rows read 6.79 strikeouts and 3.01 walks for Willie Hernandez, 9.51 and 3.35 for Joe Nathan.
Willie Hernandez vs Joe Nathan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Hernandez or Joe Nathan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Nathan leads Willie Hernandez in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Joe Nathan, with 2.87 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games?
- Willie Hernandez, with 70 to Joe Nathan's 64.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Joe Nathan, with 976 to Willie Hernandez's 788.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Joe Nathan, with 1.12 to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.