Francisco Rodriguez vs Bobby Shantz: Career Stats Comparison
Francisco Rodriguez and Bobby Shantz are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Francisco Rodriguez played 2002–2017 as a pitcher; Bobby Shantz played 1949–1964 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
Francisco Rodriguez (2002–2017) and Bobby Shantz (1949–1964) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1940s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Francisco Rodriguez finished with 52 wins and 1,142 strikeouts; Bobby Shantz finished with 119 wins and 1,072 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Francisco Rodriguez, with 2.86 to Bobby Shantz's 3.38.
- Who won more games? Bobby Shantz, with 119 to Francisco Rodriguez's 52.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Francisco Rodriguez, with 1,142 to Bobby Shantz's 1,072.
- Who had the better WHIP? Francisco Rodriguez, with 1.15 to Bobby Shantz's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Bobby Shantz, with 1,935.2 to Francisco Rodriguez's 976.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bobby Shantz, with 15 to Francisco Rodriguez's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bobby Shantz, with 24,845 career Pitcher PIV to Francisco Rodriguez's 21,669.
Francisco Rodriguez
Bobby Shantz
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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Francisco Rodriguez | Bobby Shantz |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 52 | Leads: 119 |
| Losses not scored | 53 | 99 |
| Games | Leads: 948 | 537 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 171 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 78 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 15 |
| Saves | Leads: 437 | 48 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,142 | 1,072 |
| Walks not scored | 389 | 643 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 738 | 1,795 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 98 | 151 |
| Innings Pitched | 976.0 | Leads: 1,935.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.86 | 3.38 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.15 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.53 | 4.98 |
| BB/9 | 3.59 | Leads: 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bobby Shantz leads Francisco Rodriguez 24,845 to 21,669 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,308 PIV per season to 1,204, across 19 seasons to 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).
Francisco Rodriguez
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Bobby Shantz — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Francisco Rodriguez leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Bobby Shantz owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Francisco Rodriguez. Note that PIV actually grades Bobby Shantz ahead, which means Francisco Rodriguez's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Francisco Rodriguez and Bobby Shantz careers compare
Bobby Shantz (1949–1964) was finished before Francisco Rodriguez (2002–2017) arrived, so they never shared a league. Francisco Rodriguez has the far longer record, 948 games against 537 across 18 and 19 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The per-nine rows read 10.53 strikeouts and 3.59 walks for Francisco Rodriguez, 4.98 and 2.99 for Bobby Shantz. Their roles differ: Francisco Rodriguez worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 948 games, 437 saves); Bobby Shantz split time between starting and relief (171 starts in 537 games). The complete-game row, 0 against 78, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. In WHIP, Francisco Rodriguez's 1.15 beats Bobby Shantz's 1.26.
Francisco Rodriguez vs Bobby Shantz: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 2.86 to Bobby Shantz's 3.38.
- Who won more games?
- Bobby Shantz, with 119 to Francisco Rodriguez's 52.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 1,142 to Bobby Shantz's 1,072.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 1.15 to Bobby Shantz's 1.26.