Joe Nathan vs Dan Quisenberry: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Nathan has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Dan Quisenberry played 1979–1990 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 Dan Quisenberry (1979–1990) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Joe Nathan finished with 64 wins and 976 strikeouts; Dan Quisenberry finished with 56 wins and 379 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Dan Quisenberry, with 2.76 to Joe Nathan's 2.87.
- Who won more games? Joe Nathan, with 64 to Dan Quisenberry's 56.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Joe Nathan, with 976 to Dan Quisenberry's 379.
- Who had the better WHIP? Joe Nathan, with 1.12 to Dan Quisenberry's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Dan Quisenberry, with 1,043.1 to Joe Nathan's 923.1.
- 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 Dan Quisenberry's 16,859.
Dan Quisenberry
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 1990s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe Nathan | Dan Quisenberry |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 64 | 56 |
| Losses not scored | 34 | 46 |
| Games | Leads: 787 | 674 |
| Games Started | Leads: 29 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 377 | 244 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 976 | 379 |
| Walks not scored | 344 | 162 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 690 | 1,064 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 84 | 59 |
| Innings Pitched | 923.1 | Leads: 1,043.1 |
| ERA | 2.87 | Leads: 2.76 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.12 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.51 | 3.27 |
| BB/9 | 3.35 | Leads: 1.40 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Nathan leads Dan Quisenberry 22,319 to 16,859 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,313 PIV per season to 1,297, across 17 seasons to 13. 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.
Dan Quisenberry — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe Nathan leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Dan Quisenberry owns ERA and innings pitched. 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 Dan Quisenberry careers compare
Dan Quisenberry (1979–1990) was finished before Joe Nathan (1999–2016) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 787 games against 674 across 17 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Dan Quisenberry comes out ahead, it is in innings (1,043.1 to 923.1), ERA (2.76 to 2.87), and walks per nine (1.40 to 3.35). The per-nine rows read 9.51 strikeouts and 3.35 walks for Joe Nathan, 3.27 and 1.40 for Dan Quisenberry. Joe Nathan worked mostly in relief (29 starts in 787 games, 377 saves), and Dan Quisenberry worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 674 games, 244 saves).
Joe Nathan vs Dan Quisenberry: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe Nathan or Dan Quisenberry?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Nathan leads Dan Quisenberry in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Dan Quisenberry, with 2.76 to Joe Nathan's 2.87.
- Who won more games?
- Joe Nathan, with 64 to Dan Quisenberry's 56.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Joe Nathan, with 976 to Dan Quisenberry's 379.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Joe Nathan, with 1.12 to Dan Quisenberry's 1.18.