Willie Hernandez vs Devin Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Hernandez 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; Devin Williams has played 2019–present 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 Devin Williams (2019–present) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Willie Hernandez finished with 70 wins and 788 strikeouts; Devin Williams has 34 wins and 517 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Devin Williams, with 2.69 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games? Willie Hernandez, with 70 to Devin Williams's 34.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Willie Hernandez, with 788 to Devin Williams's 517.
- Who had the better WHIP? Devin Williams, with 1.11 to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Willie Hernandez, with 1,044.2 to Devin Williams's 338.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Devin Williams, with 13,215 career Pitcher PIV to Willie Hernandez's 10,045.
Willie Hernandez
Devin Williams
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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Devin Williams is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Willie Hernandez | Devin Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 70 | 34 |
| Losses not scored | 63 | 18 |
| Games | Leads: 744 | 352 |
| Games Started | Leads: 11 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 147 | 102 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 788 | 517 |
| Walks not scored | 349 | 158 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 952 | 217 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 23 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,044.2 | 338.1 |
| ERA | 3.38 | Leads: 2.69 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | Leads: 1.11 |
| K/9 | 6.79 | Leads: 13.75 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.01 | 4.20 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Devin Williams leads Willie Hernandez 13,215 to 10,045 — driven by per-season impact — 1,888 PIV per season to 718 — rather than by longevity, since Devin Williams played 7 seasons to Willie Hernandez's 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)
Devin Williams
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Devin Williams leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Willie Hernandez owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Devin Williams. PIV agrees: Devin Williams 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 Devin Williams careers compare
No season is shared: Willie Hernandez played 1977–1989, Devin Williams 2019–present. Willie Hernandez has the far longer record, 744 games against 352 across 14 and 7 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Devin Williams are ERA (2.69 to 3.38), WHIP (1.11 to 1.25), and strikeouts per nine (13.75 to 6.79). The per-nine rows read 6.79 strikeouts and 3.01 walks for Willie Hernandez, 13.75 and 4.20 for Devin Williams. Both had the same role: Willie Hernandez worked mostly in relief (11 starts in 744 games, 147 saves); Devin Williams worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 352 games, 102 saves). Because Devin Williams is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Willie Hernandez vs Devin Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Hernandez or Devin Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Hernandez leads Devin Williams in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Devin Williams, with 2.69 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games?
- Willie Hernandez, with 70 to Devin Williams's 34.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Willie Hernandez, with 788 to Devin Williams's 517.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Devin Williams, with 1.11 to Willie Hernandez's 1.25.