Kenley Jansen vs Billy Wagner: Career Stats Comparison
Kenley Jansen has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Kenley Jansen has played 2010–present 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
Kenley Jansen (2010–present) and Billy Wagner (1995–2010) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Kenley Jansen has 58 wins and 1,329 strikeouts through October 6, 2026; 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 Kenley Jansen's 2.60.
- Who won more games? Kenley Jansen, with 58 to Billy Wagner's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Kenley Jansen, with 1,329 to Billy Wagner's 1,196.
- Who had the better WHIP? Kenley Jansen, with 0.97 to Billy Wagner's 1.00.
- Who pitched more innings? Kenley Jansen, with 972.1 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 Kenley Jansen's 34,863.
Kenley Jansen
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 2010s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Kenley Jansen is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Kenley Jansen | Billy Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 58 | 47 |
| Losses not scored | 46 | 40 |
| Games | Leads: 983 | 853 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 498 | 422 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,329 | 1,196 |
| Walks not scored | 305 | 300 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 634 | 601 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 95 | 82 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 972.1 | 903.0 |
| ERA | 2.60 | Leads: 2.31 |
| WHIP | Leads: 0.97 | 1.00 |
| K/9 | Leads: 12.30 | 11.92 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.82 | 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Wagner leads Kenley Jansen 38,470 to 34,863 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,263 PIV per season to 2,179, across 17 seasons to 16. 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).
Kenley Jansen
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, Kenley Jansen leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Billy Wagner owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Kenley Jansen. Note that PIV actually grades Billy Wagner ahead, which means Kenley Jansen's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Kenley Jansen and Billy Wagner careers compare
Kenley Jansen and Billy Wagner were active at the same time between 2010 and 2010. With 983 games against 853 across 16 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Billy Wagner's edges on the table are ERA (2.31 to 2.60). The per-nine rows read 12.30 strikeouts and 2.82 walks for Kenley Jansen, 11.92 and 2.99 for Billy Wagner. Both had the same role: Kenley Jansen worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 983 games, 498 saves); Billy Wagner worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 853 games, 422 saves). Kenley Jansen allowed fewer baserunners, a 0.97 WHIP to Billy Wagner's 1.00. Kenley Jansen's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Kenley Jansen vs Billy Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Kenley Jansen or Billy Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Kenley Jansen leads Billy Wagner in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Billy Wagner, with 2.31 to Kenley Jansen's 2.60.
- Who won more games?
- Kenley Jansen, with 58 to Billy Wagner's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Kenley Jansen, with 1,329 to Billy Wagner's 1,196.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Kenley Jansen, with 0.97 to Billy Wagner's 1.00.