Jeff Reardon vs Billy Wagner: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Wagner has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jeff Reardon played 1979–1994 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
Jeff Reardon (1979–1994) and Billy Wagner (1995–2010) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jeff Reardon finished with 73 wins and 877 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 Jeff Reardon's 3.16.
- Who won more games? Jeff Reardon, with 73 to Billy Wagner's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Billy Wagner, with 1,196 to Jeff Reardon's 877.
- Who had the better WHIP? Billy Wagner, with 1.00 to Jeff Reardon's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Jeff Reardon, with 1,132.1 to Billy Wagner's 903.0.
- 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 Jeff Reardon's 11,952.
Jeff Reardon
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 1970s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jeff Reardon | Billy Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 73 | 47 |
| Losses not scored | 77 | 40 |
| Games | Leads: 880 | 853 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 367 | Leads: 422 |
| Strikeouts | 877 | Leads: 1,196 |
| Walks not scored | 358 | 300 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,000 | 601 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 109 | 82 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,132.1 | 903.0 |
| ERA | 3.16 | Leads: 2.31 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | 6.97 | Leads: 11.92 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.85 | 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Wagner outpaces Jeff Reardon 38,470 to 11,952 — driven by per-season impact — 2,263 PIV per season to 664 — rather than by longevity, since Billy Wagner played 17 seasons to Jeff Reardon's 18. 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).
Jeff Reardon
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 strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Jeff Reardon owns wins and innings pitched. 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 Jeff Reardon and Billy Wagner careers compare
Jeff Reardon (1979–1994) was finished before Billy Wagner (1995–2010) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 880 games for Jeff Reardon and 853 for Billy Wagner across 18 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Jeff Reardon comes out ahead, it is in wins (73 to 47), games (880 to 853), and innings (1,132.1 to 903.0). The per-nine rows read 6.97 strikeouts and 2.85 walks for Jeff Reardon, 11.92 and 2.99 for Billy Wagner. Jeff Reardon worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 880 games, 367 saves), and Billy Wagner worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 853 games, 422 saves).
Jeff Reardon vs Billy Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jeff Reardon or Billy Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Wagner leads Jeff Reardon in 5 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Billy Wagner, with 2.31 to Jeff Reardon's 3.16.
- Who won more games?
- Jeff Reardon, with 73 to Billy Wagner's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Billy Wagner, with 1,196 to Jeff Reardon's 877.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Billy Wagner, with 1.00 to Jeff Reardon's 1.20.