Jonathan Papelbon vs Joakim Soria: Career Stats Comparison
Jonathan Papelbon (2005–2016) and Joakim Soria (2007–2021) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jonathan Papelbon compiled 41 wins and 808 strikeouts; Joakim Soria put up 36 wins and 831 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Jonathan Papelbon
Joakim Soria
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Jonathan Papelbon | Joakim Soria |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 41 | 36 |
| Losses | 36 | 45 |
| Games | 689 | 773 |
| Games Started | 3 | 1 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 368 | 229 |
| Strikeouts | 808 | 831 |
| Walks | 185 | 231 |
| Hits Allowed | 572 | 633 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 57 | 67 |
| Innings Pitched | 725 | 763 |
| ERA | 2.44 | 3.11 |
| WHIP | 1.04 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | 10.02 | 9.80 |
| BB/9 | 2.29 | 2.72 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jonathan Papelbon leads Joakim Soria 24,416 to 21,162 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,878 vs 1,176 per year). 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 (120+ innings).
Jonathan Papelbon — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Joakim Soria — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jonathan Papelbon leads in wins, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Joakim Soria owns 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.