Troy Percival vs Mariano Rivera: Career Stats Comparison
Mariano Rivera has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Troy Percival played 1995–2009 as a pitcher; Mariano Rivera played 1995–2013 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
Troy Percival (1995–2009) and Mariano Rivera (1995–2013) — both came up during the 1990s, so the matchup is a direct one. Troy Percival finished with 35 wins and 781 strikeouts; Mariano Rivera finished with 82 wins and 1,173 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Mariano Rivera, with 2.21 to Troy Percival's 3.17.
- Who won more games? Mariano Rivera, with 82 to Troy Percival's 35.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Mariano Rivera, with 1,173 to Troy Percival's 781.
- Who had the better WHIP? Mariano Rivera, with 1.00 to Troy Percival's 1.11.
- Who pitched more innings? Mariano Rivera, with 1,283.2 to Troy Percival's 708.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Mariano Rivera, with 52,571 career Pitcher PIV to Troy Percival's 10,919.
Troy Percival
Mariano Rivera
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 | Troy Percival | Mariano Rivera |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 35 | Leads: 82 |
| Losses not scored | 43 | 60 |
| Games | 703 | Leads: 1,115 |
| Games Started | 1 | Leads: 10 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 358 | Leads: 652 |
| Strikeouts | 781 | Leads: 1,173 |
| Walks not scored | 306 | 286 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 479 | 998 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 85 | 71 |
| Innings Pitched | 708.2 | Leads: 1,283.2 |
| ERA | 3.17 | Leads: 2.21 |
| WHIP | 1.11 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.92 | 8.22 |
| BB/9 | 3.89 | Leads: 2.01 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mariano Rivera outpaces Troy Percival 52,571 to 10,919 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,767 PIV per season to 780, across 19 seasons to 14. 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).
Troy Percival
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Mariano Rivera
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mariano Rivera leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Troy Percival owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Mariano Rivera. PIV agrees: Mariano Rivera grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Troy Percival and Mariano Rivera careers compare
The careers of Troy Percival (1995–2009) and Mariano Rivera (1995–2013) overlapped from 1995 to 2009, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Troy Percival appeared in 703 games to Mariano Rivera's 1,115. Troy Percival's edges on the table are strikeouts per nine (9.92 to 8.22). The per-nine rows read 9.92 strikeouts and 3.89 walks for Troy Percival, 8.22 and 2.01 for Mariano Rivera. Troy Percival worked mostly in relief (1 starts in 703 games, 358 saves), and Mariano Rivera worked mostly in relief (10 starts in 1,115 games, 652 saves). In WHIP, Mariano Rivera's 1.00 beats Troy Percival's 1.11.
Troy Percival vs Mariano Rivera: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Troy Percival or Mariano Rivera?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mariano Rivera leads Troy Percival in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Mariano Rivera, with 2.21 to Troy Percival's 3.17.
- Who won more games?
- Mariano Rivera, with 82 to Troy Percival's 35.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Mariano Rivera, with 1,173 to Troy Percival's 781.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Mariano Rivera, with 1.00 to Troy Percival's 1.11.