Jonathan Papelbon vs Billy Wagner: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Wagner has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Billy Wagner played 1995–2010 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 Billy Wagner (1995–2010) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jonathan Papelbon finished with 41 wins and 808 strikeouts; Billy Wagner finished with 47 wins and 1,196 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Billy Wagner, with 2.31 to Jonathan Papelbon's 2.44.
- Who won more games? Billy Wagner, with 47 to Jonathan Papelbon's 41.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Billy Wagner, with 1,196 to Jonathan Papelbon's 808.
- Who had the better WHIP? Billy Wagner, with 1.00 to Jonathan Papelbon's 1.04.
- Who pitched more innings? Billy Wagner, with 903.0 to Jonathan Papelbon's 725.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Billy Wagner, with 38,470 career Pitcher PIV to Jonathan Papelbon's 24,416.
Jonathan Papelbon
Billy Wagner
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, and the 2000s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jonathan Papelbon | Billy Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 41 | Leads: 47 |
| Losses not scored | 36 | 40 |
| Games | 689 | Leads: 853 |
| Games Started | Leads: 3 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 368 | Leads: 422 |
| Strikeouts | 808 | Leads: 1,196 |
| Walks not scored | 185 | 300 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 572 | 601 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 57 | 82 |
| Innings Pitched | 725.2 | Leads: 903.0 |
| ERA | 2.44 | Leads: 2.31 |
| WHIP | 1.04 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | 10.02 | Leads: 11.92 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.29 | 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Wagner outpaces Jonathan Papelbon 38,470 to 24,416 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,263 PIV per season to 1,878, across 17 seasons to 13. 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.
Billy Wagner
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Billy Wagner leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Jonathan Papelbon owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Billy Wagner. PIV agrees: Billy Wagner 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 Billy Wagner careers compare
From 2005 through 2010, Jonathan Papelbon and Billy Wagner were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 689 games for Jonathan Papelbon and 853 for Billy Wagner across 13 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Jonathan Papelbon's edges on the table are starts (3 to 0) and walks per nine (2.29 to 2.99). By rate, Jonathan Papelbon struck out 10.02 and walked 2.29 per nine innings; Billy Wagner struck out 11.92 and walked 2.99. Jonathan Papelbon worked mostly in relief (3 starts in 689 games, 368 saves), and Billy Wagner worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 853 games, 422 saves).
Jonathan Papelbon vs Billy Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jonathan Papelbon or Billy Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Wagner leads Jonathan Papelbon in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Billy Wagner, with 2.31 to Jonathan Papelbon's 2.44.
- Who won more games?
- Billy Wagner, with 47 to Jonathan Papelbon's 41.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Billy Wagner, with 1,196 to Jonathan Papelbon's 808.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Billy Wagner, with 1.00 to Jonathan Papelbon's 1.04.