Glen Perkins 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). Glen Perkins played 2006–2017 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
Glen Perkins (2006–2017) and Mariano Rivera (1995–2013) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Glen Perkins finished with 35 wins and 504 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 Glen Perkins's 3.88.
- Who won more games? Mariano Rivera, with 82 to Glen Perkins's 35.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Mariano Rivera, with 1,173 to Glen Perkins's 504.
- Who had the better WHIP? Mariano Rivera, with 1.00 to Glen Perkins's 1.29.
- Who pitched more innings? Mariano Rivera, with 1,283.2 to Glen Perkins's 624.1.
- 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 Glen Perkins's 3,175.
Glen Perkins
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, 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 | Glen Perkins | Mariano Rivera |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 35 | Leads: 82 |
| Losses not scored | 25 | 60 |
| Games | 409 | Leads: 1,115 |
| Games Started | Leads: 44 | 10 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 120 | Leads: 652 |
| Strikeouts | 504 | Leads: 1,173 |
| Walks not scored | 158 | 286 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 646 | 998 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 74 | 71 |
| Innings Pitched | 624.1 | Leads: 1,283.2 |
| ERA | 3.88 | Leads: 2.21 |
| WHIP | 1.29 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | 7.27 | Leads: 8.22 |
| BB/9 | 2.28 | Leads: 2.01 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mariano Rivera outpaces Glen Perkins 52,571 to 3,175 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,767 PIV per season to 265, across 19 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).
Glen Perkins — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
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 Glen Perkins owns no headline categories. 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 Glen Perkins and Mariano Rivera careers compare
The careers of Glen Perkins (2006–2017) and Mariano Rivera (1995–2013) overlapped from 2006 to 2013, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Glen Perkins appeared in 409 games to Mariano Rivera's 1,115. The green cells for Glen Perkins are starts (44 to 10). The per-nine rows read 7.27 strikeouts and 2.28 walks for Glen Perkins, 8.22 and 2.01 for Mariano Rivera. Glen Perkins worked mostly in relief (44 starts in 409 games, 120 saves), and Mariano Rivera worked mostly in relief (10 starts in 1,115 games, 652 saves). In WHIP, Mariano Rivera's 1.00 beats Glen Perkins's 1.29.
Glen Perkins vs Mariano Rivera: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Glen Perkins or Mariano Rivera?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mariano Rivera leads Glen Perkins in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Mariano Rivera, with 2.21 to Glen Perkins's 3.88.
- Who won more games?
- Mariano Rivera, with 82 to Glen Perkins's 35.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Mariano Rivera, with 1,173 to Glen Perkins's 504.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Mariano Rivera, with 1.00 to Glen Perkins's 1.29.