Jonathan Papelbon vs Francisco Rodriguez: Career Stats Comparison
Francisco Rodriguez 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; Francisco Rodriguez played 2002–2017 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 Francisco Rodriguez (2002–2017) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jonathan Papelbon finished with 41 wins and 808 strikeouts; Francisco Rodriguez finished with 52 wins and 1,142 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 Francisco Rodriguez's 2.86.
- Who won more games? Francisco Rodriguez, with 52 to Jonathan Papelbon's 41.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Francisco Rodriguez, with 1,142 to Jonathan Papelbon's 808.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Francisco Rodriguez's 1.15.
- Who pitched more innings? Francisco Rodriguez, with 976.0 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 Francisco Rodriguez's 21,669.
Jonathan Papelbon
Francisco Rodriguez
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 | Francisco Rodriguez |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 41 | Leads: 52 |
| Losses not scored | 36 | 53 |
| Games | 689 | Leads: 948 |
| Games Started | Leads: 3 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 368 | Leads: 437 |
| Strikeouts | 808 | Leads: 1,142 |
| Walks not scored | 185 | 389 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 572 | 738 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 57 | 98 |
| Innings Pitched | 725.2 | Leads: 976.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.44 | 2.86 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.04 | 1.15 |
| K/9 | 10.02 | Leads: 10.53 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.29 | 3.59 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jonathan Papelbon leads Francisco Rodriguez 24,416 to 21,669 — driven by per-season impact — 1,878 PIV per season to 1,204 — rather than by longevity, since Jonathan Papelbon played 13 seasons to Francisco Rodriguez's 18. 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.
Francisco Rodriguez
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Francisco Rodriguez leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Jonathan Papelbon owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Francisco Rodriguez. Note that PIV actually grades Jonathan Papelbon ahead, which means Francisco Rodriguez's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jonathan Papelbon and Francisco Rodriguez careers compare
From 2005 through 2016, Jonathan Papelbon and Francisco Rodriguez were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 689 games for Jonathan Papelbon and 948 for Francisco Rodriguez across 13 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Jonathan Papelbon are starts (3 to 0), ERA (2.44 to 2.86), and WHIP (1.04 to 1.15). By rate, Jonathan Papelbon struck out 10.02 and walked 2.29 per nine innings; Francisco Rodriguez struck out 10.53 and walked 3.59.
Jonathan Papelbon vs Francisco Rodriguez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jonathan Papelbon or Francisco Rodriguez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Francisco Rodriguez leads Jonathan Papelbon in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 2.44 to Francisco Rodriguez's 2.86.
- Who won more games?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 52 to Jonathan Papelbon's 41.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 1,142 to Jonathan Papelbon's 808.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Francisco Rodriguez's 1.15.