Willie Hernandez vs Francisco Rodriguez: Career Stats Comparison
Francisco Rodriguez 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; Francisco Rodriguez played 2002–2017 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 Francisco Rodriguez (2002–2017) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Willie Hernandez finished with 70 wins and 788 strikeouts; Francisco Rodriguez finished with 52 wins and 1,142 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Francisco Rodriguez, with 2.86 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games? Willie Hernandez, with 70 to Francisco Rodriguez's 52.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Francisco Rodriguez, with 1,142 to Willie Hernandez's 788.
- Who had the better WHIP? Francisco Rodriguez, with 1.15 to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Willie Hernandez, with 1,044.2 to Francisco Rodriguez's 976.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Francisco Rodriguez, with 21,669 career Pitcher PIV to Willie Hernandez's 10,045.
Willie Hernandez
Francisco Rodriguez
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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie Hernandez | Francisco Rodriguez |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 70 | 52 |
| Losses not scored | 63 | 53 |
| Games | 744 | Leads: 948 |
| Games Started | Leads: 11 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 147 | Leads: 437 |
| Strikeouts | 788 | Leads: 1,142 |
| Walks not scored | 349 | 389 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 952 | 738 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 98 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,044.2 | 976.0 |
| ERA | 3.38 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | Leads: 1.15 |
| K/9 | 6.79 | Leads: 10.53 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.01 | 3.59 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Francisco Rodriguez outpaces Willie Hernandez 21,669 to 10,045 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,204 PIV per season to 718, across 18 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)
Francisco Rodriguez
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Francisco Rodriguez 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 Francisco Rodriguez. PIV agrees: Francisco Rodriguez 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 Francisco Rodriguez careers compare
No season is shared: Willie Hernandez played 1977–1989, Francisco Rodriguez 2002–2017. The two careers are close in length, 744 games for Willie Hernandez and 948 for Francisco Rodriguez across 14 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Willie Hernandez comes out ahead, it is in wins (70 to 52), starts (11 to 0), and innings (1,044.2 to 976.0). By rate, Willie Hernandez struck out 6.79 and walked 3.01 per nine innings; Francisco Rodriguez struck out 10.53 and walked 3.59. Willie Hernandez worked mostly in relief (11 starts in 744 games, 147 saves), and Francisco Rodriguez worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 948 games, 437 saves).
Willie Hernandez vs Francisco Rodriguez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Hernandez or Francisco Rodriguez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Francisco Rodriguez leads Willie Hernandez in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 2.86 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games?
- Willie Hernandez, with 70 to Francisco Rodriguez's 52.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 1,142 to Willie Hernandez's 788.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 1.15 to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.