Jonathan Papelbon vs Mariano Rivera: Career Stats Comparison
Mariano Rivera has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 6 scored categories on this page (10 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jonathan Papelbon played 2005–2016 as a pitcher; Mariano Rivera played 1995–2013 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 Mariano Rivera (1995–2013) — they debuted in the 2000s and the 1990s respectively and share 9 seasons. Jonathan Papelbon finished with 41 wins and 808 strikeouts; Mariano Rivera finished with 82 wins and 1,173 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Mariano Rivera, in 5 of the 6 scored categories.
- Who had more saves? Mariano Rivera, with 652 to Jonathan Papelbon's 368.
- Who had the better ERA? Mariano Rivera, with 2.21 to Jonathan Papelbon's 2.44.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Mariano Rivera, with 1,173 to Jonathan Papelbon's 808.
- Who had the better WHIP? Mariano Rivera, with 1.00 to Jonathan Papelbon's 1.04.
- Who struck out more batters per nine innings? Jonathan Papelbon, with 10.02 to Mariano Rivera's 8.22.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Mariano Rivera, with 52,571 career Pitcher PIV to Jonathan Papelbon's 24,416.
Jonathan Papelbon
Mariano Rivera
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. 6 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 10 are shown but not scored. Both worked mainly in relief, so saves and strikeouts are scored and wins, complete games and shutouts are not. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jonathan Papelbon | Mariano Rivera |
|---|---|---|
| Wins not scored | 41 | 82 |
| Losses not scored | 36 | 60 |
| Games not scored | 689 | 1,115 |
| Games Started not scored | 3 | 10 |
| Complete Games not scored | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts not scored | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 368 | Leads: 652 |
| Strikeouts | 808 | Leads: 1,173 |
| Walks not scored | 185 | 286 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 572 | 998 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 57 | 71 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 725.2 | 1,283.2 |
| ERA | 2.44 | Leads: 2.21 |
| WHIP | 1.04 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.02 | 8.22 |
| BB/9 | 2.29 | Leads: 2.01 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mariano Rivera outpaces Jonathan Papelbon 52,571 to 24,416 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,767 PIV per season to 2,035, across 19 seasons to 12. 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 (40+ innings).
Jonathan Papelbon — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Mariano Rivera — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Mariano Rivera leads 5 of the 6 scored categories on the head-to-head card: saves, strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and others. Jonathan Papelbon leads 1: strikeouts per nine. Both are scored as relievers. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mariano Rivera. PIV agrees: Mariano Rivera 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 Mariano Rivera careers compare
The careers of Jonathan Papelbon (2005–2016) and Mariano Rivera (1995–2013) overlapped from 2005 to 2013, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 689 games of Jonathan Papelbon with 1,115 of Mariano Rivera across 12 and 19 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Jonathan Papelbon comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (10.02 to 8.22). The per-nine rows read 10.02 strikeouts and 2.29 walks for Jonathan Papelbon, 8.22 and 2.01 for Mariano Rivera. Both had the same role: Jonathan Papelbon worked mostly in relief (3 starts in 689 games, 368 saves); Mariano Rivera worked mostly in relief (10 starts in 1,115 games, 652 saves).
Jonathan Papelbon vs Mariano Rivera: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jonathan Papelbon or Mariano Rivera?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mariano Rivera leads Jonathan Papelbon in 5 of the 6 scored categories.
- Who had more saves?
- Mariano Rivera, with 652 to Jonathan Papelbon's 368.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Mariano Rivera, with 2.21 to Jonathan Papelbon's 2.44.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Mariano Rivera, with 1,173 to Jonathan Papelbon's 808.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Mariano Rivera, with 1.00 to Jonathan Papelbon's 1.04.