Jonathan Papelbon vs Jose Valverde: Career Stats Comparison
Jonathan Papelbon has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Jose Valverde played 2003–2014 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 Jose Valverde (2003–2014) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jonathan Papelbon finished with 41 wins and 808 strikeouts; Jose Valverde finished with 27 wins and 692 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 Jose Valverde's 3.27.
- Who won more games? Jonathan Papelbon, with 41 to Jose Valverde's 27.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jonathan Papelbon, with 808 to Jose Valverde's 692.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Jose Valverde's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Jonathan Papelbon, with 725.2 to Jose Valverde's 630.1.
- 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 Jose Valverde's 9,113.
Jonathan Papelbon
Jose Valverde
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 | Jose Valverde |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 41 | 27 |
| Losses not scored | 36 | 33 |
| Games | Leads: 689 | 626 |
| Games Started | Leads: 3 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 368 | 288 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 808 | 692 |
| Walks not scored | 185 | 264 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 572 | 490 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 57 | 67 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 725.2 | 630.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.44 | 3.27 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.04 | 1.20 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.02 | 9.88 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.29 | 3.77 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jonathan Papelbon outpaces Jose Valverde 24,416 to 9,113 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,878 PIV per season to 759, across 13 seasons to 12. 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.
Jose Valverde
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 wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Jose Valverde owns no headline categories. 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 Jose Valverde careers compare
Jonathan Papelbon and Jose Valverde were active at the same time between 2005 and 2014. With 689 games against 626 across 13 and 12 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Jonathan Papelbon leads every scored row of the table. By rate, Jonathan Papelbon struck out 10.02 and walked 2.29 per nine innings; Jose Valverde struck out 9.88 and walked 3.77. Both had the same role: Jonathan Papelbon worked mostly in relief (3 starts in 689 games, 368 saves); Jose Valverde worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 626 games, 288 saves). Jonathan Papelbon allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.04 WHIP to Jose Valverde's 1.20.
Jonathan Papelbon vs Jose Valverde: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jonathan Papelbon or Jose Valverde?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jonathan Papelbon leads Jose Valverde in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 2.44 to Jose Valverde's 3.27.
- Who won more games?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 41 to Jose Valverde's 27.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 808 to Jose Valverde's 692.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Jose Valverde's 1.20.