Joe Nathan vs Joakim Soria: 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; Joakim Soria played 2007–2021 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 Joakim Soria (2007–2021) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Joe Nathan finished with 64 wins and 976 strikeouts; Joakim Soria finished with 36 wins and 831 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 Joakim Soria's 3.11.
- Who won more games? Joe Nathan, with 64 to Joakim Soria's 36.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Joe Nathan, with 976 to Joakim Soria's 831.
- Who had the better WHIP? Joe Nathan, with 1.12 to Joakim Soria's 1.13.
- Who pitched more innings? Joe Nathan, with 923.1 to Joakim Soria's 763.0.
- 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 Joakim Soria's 21,162.
Joakim Soria
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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe Nathan | Joakim Soria |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 64 | 36 |
| Losses not scored | 34 | 45 |
| Games | Leads: 787 | 773 |
| Games Started | Leads: 29 | 1 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 377 | 229 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 976 | 831 |
| Walks not scored | 344 | 231 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 690 | 633 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 84 | 67 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 923.1 | 763.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.87 | 3.11 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.12 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | 9.51 | Leads: 9.80 |
| BB/9 | 3.35 | Leads: 2.72 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Nathan edges Joakim Soria 22,319 to 21,162 — driven by per-season impact — 1,313 PIV per season to 1,176 — rather than by longevity, since Joe Nathan played 17 seasons to Joakim Soria's 18. 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.
Joakim Soria
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 WHIP, while Joakim Soria owns 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 Joakim Soria careers compare
Joe Nathan and Joakim Soria were active at the same time between 2007 and 2016. The two careers are close in length, 787 games for Joe Nathan and 773 for Joakim Soria across 17 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Joakim Soria are strikeouts per nine (9.80 to 9.51) and walks per nine (2.72 to 3.35). The per-nine rows read 9.51 strikeouts and 3.35 walks for Joe Nathan, 9.80 and 2.72 for Joakim Soria. Joe Nathan worked mostly in relief (29 starts in 787 games, 377 saves), and Joakim Soria worked mostly in relief (1 starts in 773 games, 229 saves).
Joe Nathan vs Joakim Soria: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe Nathan or Joakim Soria?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Nathan leads Joakim Soria in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Joe Nathan, with 2.87 to Joakim Soria's 3.11.
- Who won more games?
- Joe Nathan, with 64 to Joakim Soria's 36.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Joe Nathan, with 976 to Joakim Soria's 831.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Joe Nathan, with 1.12 to Joakim Soria's 1.13.