Willie Hernandez vs Jeff Reardon: Career Stats Comparison
Jeff Reardon has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Jeff Reardon played 1979–1994 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 Jeff Reardon (1979–1994) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Willie Hernandez finished with 70 wins and 788 strikeouts; Jeff Reardon finished with 73 wins and 877 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Jeff Reardon, with 3.16 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games? Jeff Reardon, with 73 to Willie Hernandez's 70.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jeff Reardon, with 877 to Willie Hernandez's 788.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jeff Reardon, with 1.20 to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Jeff Reardon, with 1,132.1 to Willie Hernandez's 1,044.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jeff Reardon, with 11,952 career Pitcher PIV to Willie Hernandez's 10,045.
Willie Hernandez
Jeff Reardon
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 | Jeff Reardon |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 70 | Leads: 73 |
| Losses not scored | 63 | 77 |
| Games | 744 | Leads: 880 |
| Games Started | Leads: 11 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 147 | Leads: 367 |
| Strikeouts | 788 | Leads: 877 |
| Walks not scored | 349 | 358 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 952 | 1,000 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 109 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,044.2 | Leads: 1,132.1 |
| ERA | 3.38 | Leads: 3.16 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | Leads: 1.20 |
| K/9 | 6.79 | Leads: 6.97 |
| BB/9 | 3.01 | Leads: 2.85 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jeff Reardon leads Willie Hernandez 11,952 to 10,045 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Jeff Reardon played 18 seasons to Willie Hernandez's 14, while Willie Hernandez carries the higher per-season figure (718 to 664). 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)
Jeff Reardon
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jeff Reardon leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Willie Hernandez owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jeff Reardon. PIV agrees: Jeff Reardon 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 Jeff Reardon careers compare
Willie Hernandez and Jeff Reardon were active at the same time between 1979 and 1989. With 744 games against 880 across 14 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Willie Hernandez's edges on the table are starts (11 to 0). The per-nine rows read 6.79 strikeouts and 3.01 walks for Willie Hernandez, 6.97 and 2.85 for Jeff Reardon. Both had the same role: Willie Hernandez worked mostly in relief (11 starts in 744 games, 147 saves); Jeff Reardon worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 880 games, 367 saves). In WHIP, Jeff Reardon's 1.20 beats Willie Hernandez's 1.25.
Willie Hernandez vs Jeff Reardon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Hernandez or Jeff Reardon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jeff Reardon leads Willie Hernandez in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jeff Reardon, with 3.16 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games?
- Jeff Reardon, with 73 to Willie Hernandez's 70.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jeff Reardon, with 877 to Willie Hernandez's 788.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jeff Reardon, with 1.20 to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.