Mariano Rivera vs Scott Williamson: Career Stats Comparison
Mariano Rivera 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). Mariano Rivera played 1995–2013 as a pitcher; Scott Williamson played 1999–2007 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
Mariano Rivera (1995–2013) and Scott Williamson (1999–2007) — both came up during the 1990s, so the matchup is a direct one. Mariano Rivera finished with 82 wins and 1,173 strikeouts; Scott Williamson finished with 28 wins and 510 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 Scott Williamson's 3.36.
- Who won more games? Mariano Rivera, with 82 to Scott Williamson's 28.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Mariano Rivera, with 1,173 to Scott Williamson's 510.
- Who had the better WHIP? Mariano Rivera, with 1.00 to Scott Williamson's 1.30.
- Who pitched more innings? Mariano Rivera, with 1,283.2 to Scott Williamson's 439.1.
- 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 Scott Williamson's 11,282.
Mariano Rivera
Scott Williamson
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 | Mariano Rivera | Scott Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 82 | 28 |
| Losses not scored | 60 | 28 |
| Games | Leads: 1,115 | 344 |
| Games Started | 10 | 10 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 652 | 55 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,173 | 510 |
| Walks not scored | 286 | 244 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 998 | 326 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 71 | 35 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,283.2 | 439.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.21 | 3.36 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.00 | 1.30 |
| K/9 | 8.22 | Leads: 10.45 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.01 | 5.00 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mariano Rivera outpaces Scott Williamson 52,571 to 11,282 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,767 PIV per season to 1,026, across 19 seasons to 11. 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).
Mariano Rivera
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Scott Williamson
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 Scott Williamson 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 Mariano Rivera and Scott Williamson careers compare
Mariano Rivera and Scott Williamson were active at the same time between 1999 and 2007. The table compares 1,115 games of Mariano Rivera with 344 of Scott Williamson across 19 and 11 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Scott Williamson are strikeouts per nine (10.45 to 8.22). The per-nine rows read 8.22 strikeouts and 2.01 walks for Mariano Rivera, 10.45 and 5.00 for Scott Williamson. Both had the same role: Mariano Rivera worked mostly in relief (10 starts in 1,115 games, 652 saves); Scott Williamson worked mostly in relief (10 starts in 344 games, 55 saves). In WHIP, Mariano Rivera's 1.00 beats Scott Williamson's 1.30.
Mariano Rivera vs Scott Williamson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mariano Rivera or Scott Williamson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mariano Rivera leads Scott Williamson in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Mariano Rivera, with 2.21 to Scott Williamson's 3.36.
- Who won more games?
- Mariano Rivera, with 82 to Scott Williamson's 28.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Mariano Rivera, with 1,173 to Scott Williamson's 510.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Mariano Rivera, with 1.00 to Scott Williamson's 1.30.