Joe Nathan vs David Robertson: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Nathan (1999–2016) and David Robertson (2008–present) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Joe Nathan compiled 64 wins and 976 strikeouts; David Robertson put up 68 wins and 1,176 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
David Robertson
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 | Joe Nathan | David Robertson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 64 | 68 |
| Losses | 34 | 46 |
| Games | 787 | 881 |
| Games Started | 29 | 1 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 377 | 179 |
| Strikeouts | 976 | 1,176 |
| Walks | 344 | 365 |
| Hits Allowed | 690 | 674 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 84 | 81 |
| Innings Pitched | 923 | 894 |
| ERA | 2.87 | 2.93 |
| WHIP | 1.12 | 1.16 |
| K/9 | 9.51 | 11.83 |
| BB/9 | 3.35 | 3.67 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Robertson leads Joe Nathan 25,283 to 22,319 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,264 vs 1,313 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).
Joe Nathan — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
David Robertson — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Robertson leads in wins, strikeouts, and K/9, while Joe Nathan owns ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Robertson. PIV agrees: David Robertson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.