Mariano Rivera vs Kerry Wood: Career Stats Comparison
Mariano Rivera (1995–2013) and Kerry Wood (1998–2012) — both came up during the 1990s, so the matchup is a direct one. Mariano Rivera compiled 82 wins and 1,173 strikeouts; Kerry Wood put up 86 wins and 1,582 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Mariano Rivera
Kerry Wood
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Mariano Rivera | Kerry Wood |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 82 | 86 |
| Losses | 60 | 75 |
| Games | 1,115 | 446 |
| Games Started | 10 | 178 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 11 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 5 |
| Saves | 652 | 63 |
| Strikeouts | 1,173 | 1,582 |
| Walks | 286 | 666 |
| Hits Allowed | 998 | 1,083 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 71 | 148 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,283 | 1,380 |
| ERA | 2.21 | 3.67 |
| WHIP | 1.00 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | 8.22 | 10.32 |
| BB/9 | 2.01 | 4.34 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mariano Rivera outpaces Kerry Wood 52,571 to 20,852 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,767 vs 1,390 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Mariano Rivera — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Kerry Wood — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Kerry Wood leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Mariano Rivera owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Kerry Wood. Note that PIV actually grades Mariano Rivera ahead, which means Kerry Wood's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.