Mariano Rivera vs Kerry Wood: Career Stats Comparison
Kerry Wood has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Kerry Wood played 1998–2012 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 Kerry Wood (1998–2012) — both came up during the 1990s, so the matchup is a direct one. Mariano Rivera finished with 82 wins and 1,173 strikeouts; Kerry Wood finished with 86 wins and 1,582 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 Kerry Wood's 3.67.
- Who won more games? Kerry Wood, with 86 to Mariano Rivera's 82.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Kerry Wood, with 1,582 to Mariano Rivera's 1,173.
- Who had the better WHIP? Mariano Rivera, with 1.00 to Kerry Wood's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Kerry Wood, with 1,380.0 to Mariano Rivera's 1,283.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Kerry Wood, with 5 to Mariano Rivera's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Mariano Rivera, with 52,571 career Pitcher PIV to Kerry Wood's 20,852.
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. 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 | Kerry Wood |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 82 | Leads: 86 |
| Losses not scored | 60 | 75 |
| Games | Leads: 1,115 | 446 |
| Games Started | 10 | Leads: 178 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 11 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 5 |
| Saves | Leads: 652 | 63 |
| Strikeouts | 1,173 | Leads: 1,582 |
| Walks not scored | 286 | 666 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 998 | 1,083 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 71 | 148 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,283.2 | Leads: 1,380.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.21 | 3.67 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.00 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | 8.22 | Leads: 10.32 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.01 | 4.34 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mariano Rivera outpaces Kerry Wood 52,571 to 20,852 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,767 PIV per season to 1,390, across 19 seasons to 15. 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.
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.
Related Matchups
How the Mariano Rivera and Kerry Wood careers compare
The careers of Mariano Rivera (1995–2013) and Kerry Wood (1998–2012) overlapped from 1998 to 2012, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Mariano Rivera has the far longer record, 1,115 games against 446 across 19 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The per-nine rows read 8.22 strikeouts and 2.01 walks for Mariano Rivera, 10.32 and 4.34 for Kerry Wood. Their roles differ: Mariano Rivera worked mostly in relief (10 starts in 1,115 games, 652 saves); Kerry Wood split time between starting and relief (178 starts in 446 games). Mariano Rivera allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.00 WHIP to Kerry Wood's 1.27.
Mariano Rivera vs Kerry Wood: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mariano Rivera or Kerry Wood?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Kerry Wood leads Mariano Rivera in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Mariano Rivera, with 2.21 to Kerry Wood's 3.67.
- Who won more games?
- Kerry Wood, with 86 to Mariano Rivera's 82.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Kerry Wood, with 1,582 to Mariano Rivera's 1,173.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Mariano Rivera, with 1.00 to Kerry Wood's 1.27.