Joe Nathan vs Brian Wilson: 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; Brian Wilson played 2006–2014 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 Brian Wilson (2006–2014) — 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; Brian Wilson finished with 24 wins and 407 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 Brian Wilson's 3.30.
- Who won more games? Joe Nathan, with 64 to Brian Wilson's 24.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Joe Nathan, with 976 to Brian Wilson's 407.
- Who had the better WHIP? Joe Nathan, with 1.12 to Brian Wilson's 1.36.
- Who pitched more innings? Joe Nathan, with 923.1 to Brian Wilson's 382.0.
- 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 Brian Wilson's 9,257.
Brian Wilson
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 | Brian Wilson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 64 | 24 |
| Losses not scored | 34 | 25 |
| Games | Leads: 787 | 394 |
| Games Started | Leads: 29 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 377 | 172 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 976 | 407 |
| Walks not scored | 344 | 175 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 690 | 343 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 84 | 22 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 923.1 | 382.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.87 | 3.30 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.12 | 1.36 |
| K/9 | 9.51 | Leads: 9.59 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.35 | 4.12 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Joe Nathan outpaces Brian Wilson 22,319 to 9,257 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,313 PIV per season to 1,029, across 17 seasons to 9. 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.
Brian Wilson
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 Brian Wilson 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 Brian Wilson careers compare
From 2006 through 2014, Joe Nathan and Brian Wilson were in the majors together. Joe Nathan has the far longer record, 787 games against 394 across 17 and 9 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Brian Wilson comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (9.59 to 9.51). By rate, Joe Nathan struck out 9.51 and walked 3.35 per nine innings; Brian Wilson struck out 9.59 and walked 4.12. Joe Nathan worked mostly in relief (29 starts in 787 games, 377 saves), and Brian Wilson worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 394 games, 172 saves). In WHIP, Joe Nathan's 1.12 beats Brian Wilson's 1.36.
Joe Nathan vs Brian Wilson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe Nathan or Brian Wilson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe Nathan leads Brian Wilson in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Joe Nathan, with 2.87 to Brian Wilson's 3.30.
- Who won more games?
- Joe Nathan, with 64 to Brian Wilson's 24.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Joe Nathan, with 976 to Brian Wilson's 407.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Joe Nathan, with 1.12 to Brian Wilson's 1.36.