Brad Lidge vs Jonathan Papelbon: Career Stats Comparison
Brad Lidge (2002–2012) and Jonathan Papelbon (2005–2016) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Brad Lidge compiled 26 wins and 799 strikeouts; Jonathan Papelbon put up 41 wins and 808 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Jonathan Papelbon
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 | Brad Lidge | Jonathan Papelbon |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 26 | 41 |
| Losses | 32 | 36 |
| Games | 603 | 689 |
| Games Started | 1 | 3 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 225 | 368 |
| Strikeouts | 799 | 808 |
| Walks | 287 | 185 |
| Hits Allowed | 492 | 572 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 57 | 57 |
| Innings Pitched | 603 | 725 |
| ERA | 3.54 | 2.44 |
| WHIP | 1.29 | 1.04 |
| K/9 | 11.92 | 10.02 |
| BB/9 | 4.28 | 2.29 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jonathan Papelbon outpaces Brad Lidge 24,416 to 17,126 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,878 vs 1,557 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).
Brad Lidge — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Jonathan Papelbon — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jonathan Papelbon leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Brad Lidge owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jonathan Papelbon. PIV agrees: Jonathan Papelbon grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.