Francisco Rodriguez vs Bruce Sutter: Career Stats Comparison
Bruce Sutter has the better career line of the two, leading 5 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; Bruce Sutter played 1976–1988 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 Bruce Sutter (1976–1988) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Francisco Rodriguez finished with 52 wins and 1,142 strikeouts; Bruce Sutter finished with 68 wins and 861 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Bruce Sutter, with 2.83 to Francisco Rodriguez's 2.86.
- Who won more games? Bruce Sutter, with 68 to Francisco Rodriguez's 52.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Francisco Rodriguez, with 1,142 to Bruce Sutter's 861.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bruce Sutter, with 1.14 to Francisco Rodriguez's 1.15.
- Who pitched more innings? Bruce Sutter, with 1,042.0 to Francisco Rodriguez's 976.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bruce Sutter, with 23,292 career Pitcher PIV to Francisco Rodriguez's 21,669.
Francisco Rodriguez
Bruce Sutter
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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Francisco Rodriguez | Bruce Sutter |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 52 | Leads: 68 |
| Losses not scored | 53 | 71 |
| Games | Leads: 948 | 661 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 437 | 300 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,142 | 861 |
| Walks not scored | 389 | 309 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 738 | 879 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 98 | 77 |
| Innings Pitched | 976.0 | Leads: 1,042.0 |
| ERA | 2.86 | Leads: 2.83 |
| WHIP | 1.15 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.53 | 7.44 |
| BB/9 | 3.59 | Leads: 2.67 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bruce Sutter edges Francisco Rodriguez 23,292 to 21,669 — driven by per-season impact — 1,941 PIV per season to 1,204 — rather than by longevity, since Bruce Sutter played 12 seasons to Francisco Rodriguez's 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.
Bruce Sutter — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bruce Sutter leads in wins, ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Francisco Rodriguez owns strikeouts and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bruce Sutter. PIV agrees: Bruce Sutter 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 Bruce Sutter careers compare
Bruce Sutter (1976–1988) was finished before Francisco Rodriguez (2002–2017) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 948 games against 661 across 18 and 12 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Francisco Rodriguez comes out ahead, it is in games (948 to 661), saves (437 to 300), and strikeouts (1,142 to 861). The per-nine rows read 10.53 strikeouts and 3.59 walks for Francisco Rodriguez, 7.44 and 2.67 for Bruce Sutter. Both had the same role: Francisco Rodriguez worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 948 games, 437 saves); Bruce Sutter worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 661 games, 300 saves).
Francisco Rodriguez vs Bruce Sutter: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Francisco Rodriguez or Bruce Sutter?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bruce Sutter leads Francisco Rodriguez in 5 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bruce Sutter, with 2.83 to Francisco Rodriguez's 2.86.
- Who won more games?
- Bruce Sutter, with 68 to Francisco Rodriguez's 52.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 1,142 to Bruce Sutter's 861.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bruce Sutter, with 1.14 to Francisco Rodriguez's 1.15.