Willie Hernandez vs Rick Reuschel: Career Stats Comparison
Rick Reuschel has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Rick Reuschel played 1972–1991 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 Rick Reuschel (1972–1991) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Willie Hernandez finished with 70 wins and 788 strikeouts; Rick Reuschel finished with 214 wins and 2,015 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Rick Reuschel, with 3.37 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games? Rick Reuschel, with 214 to Willie Hernandez's 70.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rick Reuschel, with 2,015 to Willie Hernandez's 788.
- Who had the better WHIP? Willie Hernandez, with 1.25 to Rick Reuschel's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Rick Reuschel, with 3,548.1 to Willie Hernandez's 1,044.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Rick Reuschel, with 26 to Willie Hernandez's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Rick Reuschel, with 52,650 career Pitcher PIV to Willie Hernandez's 10,045.
Willie Hernandez
Rick Reuschel
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 | Rick Reuschel |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 70 | Leads: 214 |
| Losses not scored | 63 | 191 |
| Games | Leads: 744 | 557 |
| Games Started | 11 | Leads: 529 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 102 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 26 |
| Saves | Leads: 147 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 788 | Leads: 2,015 |
| Walks not scored | 349 | 935 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 952 | 3,588 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 221 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,044.2 | Leads: 3,548.1 |
| ERA | 3.38 | Leads: 3.37 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.25 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.79 | 5.11 |
| BB/9 | 3.01 | Leads: 2.37 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rick Reuschel outpaces Willie Hernandez 52,650 to 10,045 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,507 PIV per season to 718, across 21 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)
Rick Reuschel — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rick Reuschel leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Willie Hernandez owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rick Reuschel. PIV agrees: Rick Reuschel 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 Rick Reuschel careers compare
From 1977 through 1989, Willie Hernandez and Rick Reuschel were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 744 games for Willie Hernandez and 557 for Rick Reuschel across 14 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Willie Hernandez's edges on the table are games (744 to 557), saves (147 to 5), and WHIP (1.25 to 1.27). The per-nine rows read 6.79 strikeouts and 3.01 walks for Willie Hernandez, 5.11 and 2.37 for Rick Reuschel. Their roles differ: Willie Hernandez worked mostly in relief (11 starts in 744 games, 147 saves); Rick Reuschel was mainly a starter (529 starts in 557 games).
Willie Hernandez vs Rick Reuschel: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Hernandez or Rick Reuschel?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rick Reuschel leads Willie Hernandez in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rick Reuschel, with 3.37 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games?
- Rick Reuschel, with 214 to Willie Hernandez's 70.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rick Reuschel, with 2,015 to Willie Hernandez's 788.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Willie Hernandez, with 1.25 to Rick Reuschel's 1.27.