Jonathan Papelbon vs Dan Quisenberry: Career Stats Comparison
Jonathan Papelbon 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). Jonathan Papelbon played 2005–2016 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
Jonathan Papelbon (2005–2016) and Dan Quisenberry (1979–1990) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jonathan Papelbon finished with 41 wins and 808 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? Jonathan Papelbon, with 2.44 to Dan Quisenberry's 2.76.
- Who won more games? Dan Quisenberry, with 56 to Jonathan Papelbon's 41.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jonathan Papelbon, with 808 to Dan Quisenberry's 379.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Dan Quisenberry's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Dan Quisenberry, with 1,043.1 to Jonathan Papelbon's 725.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jonathan Papelbon, with 24,416 career Pitcher PIV to Dan Quisenberry's 16,859.
Jonathan Papelbon
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 2000s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jonathan Papelbon | Dan Quisenberry |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 41 | Leads: 56 |
| Losses not scored | 36 | 46 |
| Games | Leads: 689 | 674 |
| Games Started | Leads: 3 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 368 | 244 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 808 | 379 |
| Walks not scored | 185 | 162 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 572 | 1,064 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 57 | 59 |
| Innings Pitched | 725.2 | Leads: 1,043.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.44 | 2.76 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.04 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.02 | 3.27 |
| BB/9 | 2.29 | Leads: 1.40 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jonathan Papelbon outpaces Dan Quisenberry 24,416 to 16,859 — driven by per-season impact — 1,878 PIV per season to 1,297 — rather than by longevity, since Jonathan Papelbon played 13 seasons to Dan Quisenberry's 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).
Jonathan Papelbon
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, Jonathan Papelbon leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Dan Quisenberry owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jonathan Papelbon. PIV agrees: Jonathan Papelbon grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jonathan Papelbon and Dan Quisenberry careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Dan Quisenberry's ended in 1990, and Jonathan Papelbon debuted in 2005. The two careers are close in length, 689 games for Jonathan Papelbon and 674 for Dan Quisenberry across 13 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Dan Quisenberry comes out ahead, it is in wins (56 to 41), innings (1,043.1 to 725.2), and walks per nine (1.40 to 2.29). By rate, Jonathan Papelbon struck out 10.02 and walked 2.29 per nine innings; Dan Quisenberry struck out 3.27 and walked 1.40.
Jonathan Papelbon vs Dan Quisenberry: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jonathan Papelbon or Dan Quisenberry?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jonathan Papelbon leads Dan Quisenberry in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 2.44 to Dan Quisenberry's 2.76.
- Who won more games?
- Dan Quisenberry, with 56 to Jonathan Papelbon's 41.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 808 to Dan Quisenberry's 379.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Dan Quisenberry's 1.18.