Trevor Hoffman vs Billy Wagner: Career Stats Comparison

Trevor Hoffman has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 9 statistical categories compared on this page. Trevor Hoffman played 1993–2010 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

Trevor Hoffman (1993–2010) and Billy Wagner (1995–2010) — both came up during the 1990s, so the matchup is a direct one. Trevor Hoffman compiled 61 wins and 1,133 strikeouts; Billy Wagner put up 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 Trevor Hoffman's 2.87.
  • Who won more games? Trevor Hoffman, with 61 to Billy Wagner's 47.
  • Who recorded more strikeouts? Billy Wagner, with 1,196 to Trevor Hoffman's 1,133.
  • Who had the better WHIP? Billy Wagner, with 1.00 to Trevor Hoffman's 1.06.
  • Who pitched more innings? Trevor Hoffman, with 1,089 to Billy Wagner's 903.
  • 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 Trevor Hoffman's 37,065.
Leads Trevor Hoffman 5 of 9 awarded categories
Pitcher PIV edge Billy Wagner +1,405
Read the verdict ↓

Trevor Hoffman

Pitcher · 1993–2010
Wins
61
Losses
75
Strikeouts
1,133
ERA
2.87
WHIP
1.06
IP
1,089
View Trevor Hoffman's full profile →

Billy Wagner

Pitcher · 1995–2010
Wins
47
Losses
40
Strikeouts
1,196
ERA
2.31
WHIP
1.00
IP
903
View Billy Wagner's full profile →

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. 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: compare them with the era in mind, or use the PIV card below, which is.

Trevor Hoffman vs Billy Wagner: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Trevor Hoffman Billy Wagner
Wins Leads: 61 47
Losses 75 40
Games Leads: 1,035 853
Games Started 0 0
Complete Games 0 0
Shutouts 0 0
Saves Leads: 601 422
Strikeouts 1,133 Leads: 1,196
Walks 307 300
Hits Allowed 846 601
Home Runs Allowed 100 82
Innings Pitched Leads: 1,089 903
ERA 2.87 Leads: 2.31
WHIP 1.06 Leads: 1.00
K/9 9.36 Leads: 11.92
BB/9 Leads: 2.54 2.99

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Wagner edges Trevor Hoffman 38,470 to 37,065 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,263 vs 1,951 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Trevor Hoffman
37,065
Career Pitcher PIV · 1,951 per season (19 seasons)
Billy Wagner
38,470
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,263 per season (17 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).

Trevor Hoffman

No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.

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 Trevor Hoffman 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

Trevor Hoffman vs Billy Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Trevor Hoffman or Billy Wagner?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Trevor Hoffman leads Billy Wagner in 5 of 9 categories.
Who had the better ERA?
Billy Wagner, with 2.31 to Trevor Hoffman's 2.87.
Who won more games?
Trevor Hoffman, with 61 to Billy Wagner's 47.
Who recorded more strikeouts?
Billy Wagner, with 1,196 to Trevor Hoffman's 1,133.
Who had the better WHIP?
Billy Wagner, with 1.00 to Trevor Hoffman's 1.06.