Francisco Rodriguez vs Scot Shields: Career Stats Comparison
Francisco Rodriguez has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Francisco Rodriguez played 2002–2017 as a pitcher; Scot Shields played 2001–2010 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
Francisco Rodriguez (2002–2017) and Scot Shields (2001–2010) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Francisco Rodriguez finished with 52 wins and 1,142 strikeouts; Scot Shields finished with 46 wins and 631 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 Scot Shields's 3.18.
- Who won more games? Francisco Rodriguez, with 52 to Scot Shields's 46.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Francisco Rodriguez, with 1,142 to Scot Shields's 631.
- Who had the better WHIP? Francisco Rodriguez, with 1.15 to Scot Shields's 1.24.
- Who pitched more innings? Francisco Rodriguez, with 976.0 to Scot Shields's 697.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Francisco Rodriguez, with 21,669 career Pitcher PIV to Scot Shields's 14,266.
Francisco Rodriguez
Scot Shields
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 | Francisco Rodriguez | Scot Shields |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 52 | 46 |
| Losses not scored | 53 | 44 |
| Games | Leads: 948 | 491 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 15 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 437 | 21 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,142 | 631 |
| Walks not scored | 389 | 278 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 738 | 589 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 98 | 55 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 976.0 | 697.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.86 | 3.18 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.15 | 1.24 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.53 | 8.15 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.59 | 3.59 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Francisco Rodriguez outpaces Scot Shields 21,669 to 14,266 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Francisco Rodriguez played 18 seasons to Scot Shields's 10, while Scot Shields carries the higher per-season figure (1,427 to 1,204). 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.
Scot Shields — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Francisco Rodriguez leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Scot Shields owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Francisco Rodriguez. PIV agrees: Francisco Rodriguez grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Francisco Rodriguez and Scot Shields careers compare
From 2002 through 2010, Francisco Rodriguez and Scot Shields were in the majors together. Francisco Rodriguez has the far longer record, 948 games against 491 across 18 and 10 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Scot Shields's edges on the table are starts (15 to 0). The per-nine rows read 10.53 strikeouts and 3.59 walks for Francisco Rodriguez, 8.15 and 3.59 for Scot Shields. Both had the same role: Francisco Rodriguez worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 948 games, 437 saves); Scot Shields worked mostly in relief (15 starts in 491 games, 21 saves). In WHIP, Francisco Rodriguez's 1.15 beats Scot Shields's 1.24.
Francisco Rodriguez vs Scot Shields: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Francisco Rodriguez or Scot Shields?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Francisco Rodriguez leads Scot Shields in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 2.86 to Scot Shields's 3.18.
- Who won more games?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 52 to Scot Shields's 46.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 1,142 to Scot Shields's 631.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 1.15 to Scot Shields's 1.24.