Willie Hernandez vs Mariano Rivera: Career Stats Comparison
Mariano Rivera 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; Mariano Rivera played 1995–2013 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 Mariano Rivera (1995–2013) — 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; Mariano Rivera finished with 82 wins and 1,173 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Mariano Rivera, with 2.21 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games? Mariano Rivera, with 82 to Willie Hernandez's 70.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Mariano Rivera, with 1,173 to Willie Hernandez's 788.
- Who had the better WHIP? Mariano Rivera, with 1.00 to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Mariano Rivera, with 1,283.2 to Willie Hernandez's 1,044.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Mariano Rivera, with 52,571 career Pitcher PIV to Willie Hernandez's 10,045.
Willie Hernandez
Mariano Rivera
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 | Mariano Rivera |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 70 | Leads: 82 |
| Losses not scored | 63 | 60 |
| Games | 744 | Leads: 1,115 |
| Games Started | Leads: 11 | 10 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 147 | Leads: 652 |
| Strikeouts | 788 | Leads: 1,173 |
| Walks not scored | 349 | 286 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 952 | 998 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 71 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,044.2 | Leads: 1,283.2 |
| ERA | 3.38 | Leads: 2.21 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | 6.79 | Leads: 8.22 |
| BB/9 | 3.01 | Leads: 2.01 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mariano Rivera outpaces Willie Hernandez 52,571 to 10,045 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,767 PIV per season to 718, across 19 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)
Mariano Rivera
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mariano Rivera 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 Mariano Rivera. PIV agrees: Mariano Rivera 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 Mariano Rivera careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Willie Hernandez's ended in 1989, and Mariano Rivera debuted in 1995. The two careers are close in length, 744 games for Willie Hernandez and 1,115 for Mariano Rivera across 14 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Willie Hernandez's edges on the table are starts (11 to 10). The per-nine rows read 6.79 strikeouts and 3.01 walks for Willie Hernandez, 8.22 and 2.01 for Mariano Rivera. Willie Hernandez worked mostly in relief (11 starts in 744 games, 147 saves), and Mariano Rivera worked mostly in relief (10 starts in 1,115 games, 652 saves). In WHIP, Mariano Rivera's 1.00 beats Willie Hernandez's 1.25.
Willie Hernandez vs Mariano Rivera: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Hernandez or Mariano Rivera?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mariano Rivera leads Willie Hernandez in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Mariano Rivera, with 2.21 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games?
- Mariano Rivera, with 82 to Willie Hernandez's 70.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Mariano Rivera, with 1,173 to Willie Hernandez's 788.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Mariano Rivera, with 1.00 to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.