Joe Nathan vs Troy Percival: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Nathan 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). Joe Nathan played 1999–2016 as a pitcher; Troy Percival played 1995–2009 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
Joe Nathan (1999–2016) and Troy Percival (1995–2009) — both came up during the 1990s, so the matchup is a direct one. Joe Nathan finished with 64 wins and 976 strikeouts; Troy Percival finished with 35 wins and 781 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Joe Nathan, with 2.87 to Troy Percival's 3.17.
- Who won more games? Joe Nathan, with 64 to Troy Percival's 35.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Joe Nathan, with 976 to Troy Percival's 781.
- Who had the better WHIP? Troy Percival, with 1.11 to Joe Nathan's 1.12.
- Who pitched more innings? Joe Nathan, with 923.1 to Troy Percival's 708.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Joe Nathan, with 22,319 career Pitcher PIV to Troy Percival's 10,919.
Troy Percival
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe Nathan | Troy Percival |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 64 | 35 |
| Losses not scored | 34 | 43 |
| Games | Leads: 787 | 703 |
| Games Started | Leads: 29 | 1 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 377 | 358 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 976 | 781 |
| Walks not scored | 344 | 306 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 690 | 479 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 84 | 85 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 923.1 | 708.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.87 | 3.17 |
| WHIP | 1.12 | Leads: 1.11 |
| K/9 | 9.51 | Leads: 9.92 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.35 | 3.89 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Nathan outpaces Troy Percival 22,319 to 10,919 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,313 PIV per season to 780, across 17 seasons to 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).
Joe Nathan
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Troy Percival
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe Nathan leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Troy Percival owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Joe Nathan. PIV agrees: Joe Nathan grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Joe Nathan and Troy Percival careers compare
From 1999 through 2009, Joe Nathan and Troy Percival were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 787 games for Joe Nathan and 703 for Troy Percival across 17 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Troy Percival comes out ahead, it is in WHIP (1.11 to 1.12) and strikeouts per nine (9.92 to 9.51). The per-nine rows read 9.51 strikeouts and 3.35 walks for Joe Nathan, 9.92 and 3.89 for Troy Percival. Both had the same role: Joe Nathan worked mostly in relief (29 starts in 787 games, 377 saves); Troy Percival worked mostly in relief (1 starts in 703 games, 358 saves).
Joe Nathan vs Troy Percival: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe Nathan or Troy Percival?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Nathan leads Troy Percival in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Joe Nathan, with 2.87 to Troy Percival's 3.17.
- Who won more games?
- Joe Nathan, with 64 to Troy Percival's 35.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Joe Nathan, with 976 to Troy Percival's 781.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Troy Percival, with 1.11 to Joe Nathan's 1.12.