Willie Hernandez vs Robb Nen: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Hernandez and Robb Nen are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 5–5 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Willie Hernandez played 1977–1989 as a pitcher; Robb Nen played 1993–2002 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 Robb Nen (1993–2002) — 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; Robb Nen finished with 45 wins and 793 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Robb Nen, with 2.98 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games? Willie Hernandez, with 70 to Robb Nen's 45.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Robb Nen, with 793 to Willie Hernandez's 788.
- Who had the better WHIP? Robb Nen, with 1.21 to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Willie Hernandez, with 1,044.2 to Robb Nen's 715.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Robb Nen, with 28,255 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 | Robb Nen |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 70 | 45 |
| Losses not scored | 63 | 42 |
| Games | Leads: 744 | 643 |
| Games Started | Leads: 11 | 4 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 147 | Leads: 314 |
| Strikeouts | 788 | Leads: 793 |
| Walks not scored | 349 | 260 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 952 | 607 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 51 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,044.2 | 715.0 |
| ERA | 3.38 | Leads: 2.98 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | Leads: 1.21 |
| K/9 | 6.79 | Leads: 9.98 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.01 | 3.27 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Robb Nen outpaces Willie Hernandez 28,255 to 10,045 — driven by per-season impact — 2,569 PIV per season to 718 — rather than by longevity, since Robb Nen played 11 seasons to Willie Hernandez's 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)
Robb Nen
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Robb Nen 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 Robb Nen. PIV agrees: Robb Nen 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 Robb Nen careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Willie Hernandez's ended in 1989, and Robb Nen debuted in 1993. The two careers are close in length, 744 games for Willie Hernandez and 643 for Robb Nen across 14 and 11 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. By rate, Willie Hernandez struck out 6.79 and walked 3.01 per nine innings; Robb Nen struck out 9.98 and walked 3.27. Willie Hernandez worked mostly in relief (11 starts in 744 games, 147 saves), and Robb Nen worked mostly in relief (4 starts in 643 games, 314 saves). Robb Nen allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.21 WHIP to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.
Willie Hernandez vs Robb Nen: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Robb Nen, with 2.98 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games?
- Willie Hernandez, with 70 to Robb Nen's 45.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Robb Nen, with 793 to Willie Hernandez's 788.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Robb Nen, with 1.21 to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.