Willie Hernandez vs Dan Quisenberry: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Hernandez has the better career line of the two, leading 6 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; Dan Quisenberry played 1979–1990 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 Dan Quisenberry (1979–1990) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Willie Hernandez finished with 70 wins and 788 strikeouts; Dan Quisenberry finished with 56 wins and 379 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Dan Quisenberry, with 2.76 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games? Willie Hernandez, with 70 to Dan Quisenberry's 56.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Willie Hernandez, with 788 to Dan Quisenberry's 379.
- Who had the better WHIP? Dan Quisenberry, with 1.18 to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Willie Hernandez, with 1,044.2 to Dan Quisenberry's 1,043.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Dan Quisenberry, with 16,859 career Pitcher PIV to Willie Hernandez's 10,045.
Willie Hernandez
Dan Quisenberry
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie Hernandez | Dan Quisenberry |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 70 | 56 |
| Losses not scored | 63 | 46 |
| Games | Leads: 744 | 674 |
| Games Started | Leads: 11 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 147 | Leads: 244 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 788 | 379 |
| Walks not scored | 349 | 162 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 952 | 1,064 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 59 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,044.2 | 1,043.1 |
| ERA | 3.38 | Leads: 2.76 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | Leads: 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.79 | 3.27 |
| BB/9 | 3.01 | Leads: 1.40 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dan Quisenberry outpaces Willie Hernandez 16,859 to 10,045 — driven by per-season impact — 1,297 PIV per season to 718 — rather than by longevity, since Dan Quisenberry played 13 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)
Dan Quisenberry — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Hernandez leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Dan Quisenberry owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Willie Hernandez. Note that PIV actually grades Dan Quisenberry ahead, which means Willie Hernandez's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Willie Hernandez and Dan Quisenberry careers compare
The careers of Willie Hernandez (1977–1989) and Dan Quisenberry (1979–1990) overlapped from 1979 to 1989, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 744 games against 674 across 14 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Dan Quisenberry's edges on the table are saves (244 to 147), ERA (2.76 to 3.38), and WHIP (1.18 to 1.25). The per-nine rows read 6.79 strikeouts and 3.01 walks for Willie Hernandez, 3.27 and 1.40 for Dan Quisenberry. Willie Hernandez worked mostly in relief (11 starts in 744 games, 147 saves), and Dan Quisenberry worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 674 games, 244 saves).
Willie Hernandez vs Dan Quisenberry: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Hernandez or Dan Quisenberry?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Hernandez leads Dan Quisenberry in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Dan Quisenberry, with 2.76 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games?
- Willie Hernandez, with 70 to Dan Quisenberry's 56.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Willie Hernandez, with 788 to Dan Quisenberry's 379.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Dan Quisenberry, with 1.18 to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.