Randy Johnson vs Jose Rijo: Career Stats Comparison
Randy Johnson (1988–2009) and Jose Rijo (1984–2002) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Randy Johnson compiled 303 wins and 4,875 strikeouts; Jose Rijo put up 116 wins and 1,606 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Randy Johnson
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Randy Johnson | Jose Rijo |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 303 | 116 |
| Losses | 166 | 91 |
| Games | 618 | 376 |
| Games Started | 603 | 269 |
| Complete Games | 100 | 22 |
| Shutouts | 37 | 4 |
| Saves | 2 | 3 |
| Strikeouts | 4,875 | 1,606 |
| Walks | 1,497 | 663 |
| Hits Allowed | 3,346 | 1,710 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 411 | 147 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,135 | 1,880 |
| ERA | 3.29 | 3.24 |
| WHIP | 1.17 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | 10.61 | 7.69 |
| BB/9 | 3.26 | 3.17 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Randy Johnson outpaces Jose Rijo 122,530 to 35,808 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (5,105 vs 2,558 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Randy Johnson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Jose Rijo — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Randy Johnson leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Jose Rijo owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Randy Johnson. PIV agrees: Randy Johnson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.