Willie Hernandez vs Billy Wagner: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Wagner has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Billy Wagner played 1995–2010 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 Billy Wagner (1995–2010) — 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; Billy Wagner finished with 47 wins and 1,196 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Billy Wagner, with 2.31 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games? Willie Hernandez, with 70 to Billy Wagner's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Billy Wagner, with 1,196 to Willie Hernandez's 788.
- Who had the better WHIP? Billy Wagner, with 1.00 to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Willie Hernandez, with 1,044.2 to Billy Wagner's 903.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Billy Wagner, with 38,470 career Pitcher PIV to Willie Hernandez's 10,045.
Willie Hernandez
Billy Wagner
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 | Billy Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 70 | 47 |
| Losses not scored | 63 | 40 |
| Games | 744 | Leads: 853 |
| Games Started | Leads: 11 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 147 | Leads: 422 |
| Strikeouts | 788 | Leads: 1,196 |
| Walks not scored | 349 | 300 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 952 | 601 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 82 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,044.2 | 903.0 |
| ERA | 3.38 | Leads: 2.31 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | 6.79 | Leads: 11.92 |
| BB/9 | 3.01 | Leads: 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Wagner outpaces Willie Hernandez 38,470 to 10,045 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,263 PIV per season to 718, across 17 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)
Billy Wagner
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Billy Wagner 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 Billy Wagner. PIV agrees: Billy Wagner 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 Billy Wagner careers compare
Willie Hernandez (1977–1989) was finished before Billy Wagner (1995–2010) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 744 games against 853 across 14 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Willie Hernandez are wins (70 to 47), starts (11 to 0), and innings (1,044.2 to 903.0). By rate, Willie Hernandez struck out 6.79 and walked 3.01 per nine innings; Billy Wagner struck out 11.92 and walked 2.99. Both had the same role: Willie Hernandez worked mostly in relief (11 starts in 744 games, 147 saves); Billy Wagner worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 853 games, 422 saves).
Willie Hernandez vs Billy Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Hernandez or Billy Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Wagner leads Willie Hernandez in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Billy Wagner, with 2.31 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games?
- Willie Hernandez, with 70 to Billy Wagner's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Billy Wagner, with 1,196 to Willie Hernandez's 788.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Billy Wagner, with 1.00 to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.