Joe Nathan vs Jose Valverde: Career Stats Comparison
Joe Nathan has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Jose Valverde played 2003–2014 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 Jose Valverde (2003–2014) — 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; Jose Valverde finished with 27 wins and 692 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 Jose Valverde's 3.27.
- Who won more games? Joe Nathan, with 64 to Jose Valverde's 27.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Joe Nathan, with 976 to Jose Valverde's 692.
- Who had the better WHIP? Joe Nathan, with 1.12 to Jose Valverde's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Joe Nathan, with 923.1 to Jose Valverde's 630.1.
- 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 Jose Valverde's 9,113.
Jose Valverde
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 | Jose Valverde |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 64 | 27 |
| Losses not scored | 34 | 33 |
| Games | Leads: 787 | 626 |
| Games Started | Leads: 29 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 377 | 288 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 976 | 692 |
| Walks not scored | 344 | 264 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 690 | 490 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 84 | 67 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 923.1 | 630.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.87 | 3.27 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.12 | 1.20 |
| K/9 | 9.51 | Leads: 9.88 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.35 | 3.77 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Nathan outpaces Jose Valverde 22,319 to 9,113 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,313 PIV per season to 759, across 17 seasons to 12. 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.
Jose Valverde
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 Jose Valverde 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 Jose Valverde careers compare
Joe Nathan and Jose Valverde were active at the same time between 2003 and 2014. The two careers are close in length, 787 games for Joe Nathan and 626 for Jose Valverde across 17 and 12 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Jose Valverde's edges on the table are strikeouts per nine (9.88 to 9.51). By rate, Joe Nathan struck out 9.51 and walked 3.35 per nine innings; Jose Valverde struck out 9.88 and walked 3.77. Joe Nathan worked mostly in relief (29 starts in 787 games, 377 saves), and Jose Valverde worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 626 games, 288 saves).
Joe Nathan vs Jose Valverde: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe Nathan or Jose Valverde?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Nathan leads Jose Valverde in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Joe Nathan, with 2.87 to Jose Valverde's 3.27.
- Who won more games?
- Joe Nathan, with 64 to Jose Valverde's 27.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Joe Nathan, with 976 to Jose Valverde's 692.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Joe Nathan, with 1.12 to Jose Valverde's 1.20.