Jonathan Papelbon vs Fernando Rodney: Career Stats Comparison
Jonathan Papelbon has the better career line of the two, leading 6 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; Fernando Rodney played 2002–2019 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 Fernando Rodney (2002–2019) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jonathan Papelbon finished with 41 wins and 808 strikeouts; Fernando Rodney finished with 48 wins and 943 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 Fernando Rodney's 3.80.
- Who won more games? Fernando Rodney, with 48 to Jonathan Papelbon's 41.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Fernando Rodney, with 943 to Jonathan Papelbon's 808.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Fernando Rodney's 1.37.
- Who pitched more innings? Fernando Rodney, with 933.0 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 Fernando Rodney's 9,760.
Jonathan Papelbon
Fernando Rodney
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jonathan Papelbon | Fernando Rodney |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 41 | Leads: 48 |
| Losses not scored | 36 | 71 |
| Games | 689 | Leads: 951 |
| Games Started | Leads: 3 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 368 | 327 |
| Strikeouts | 808 | Leads: 943 |
| Walks not scored | 185 | 464 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 572 | 817 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 57 | 73 |
| Innings Pitched | 725.2 | Leads: 933.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.44 | 3.80 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.04 | 1.37 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.02 | 9.10 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.29 | 4.48 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jonathan Papelbon outpaces Fernando Rodney 24,416 to 9,760 — driven by per-season impact — 1,878 PIV per season to 465 — rather than by longevity, since Jonathan Papelbon played 13 seasons to Fernando Rodney's 21. 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.
Fernando Rodney
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jonathan Papelbon leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Fernando Rodney owns wins, strikeouts, 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 Fernando Rodney careers compare
From 2005 through 2016, Jonathan Papelbon and Fernando Rodney were in the majors together. With 689 games against 951 across 13 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Fernando Rodney comes out ahead, it is in wins (48 to 41), games (951 to 689), and strikeouts (943 to 808). The per-nine rows read 10.02 strikeouts and 2.29 walks for Jonathan Papelbon, 9.10 and 4.48 for Fernando Rodney. Jonathan Papelbon worked mostly in relief (3 starts in 689 games, 368 saves), and Fernando Rodney worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 951 games, 327 saves). In WHIP, Jonathan Papelbon's 1.04 beats Fernando Rodney's 1.37.
Jonathan Papelbon vs Fernando Rodney: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jonathan Papelbon or Fernando Rodney?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jonathan Papelbon leads Fernando Rodney in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 2.44 to Fernando Rodney's 3.80.
- Who won more games?
- Fernando Rodney, with 48 to Jonathan Papelbon's 41.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Fernando Rodney, with 943 to Jonathan Papelbon's 808.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Fernando Rodney's 1.37.