Francisco Rodriguez vs Hoyt Wilhelm: Career Stats Comparison
Hoyt Wilhelm has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Hoyt Wilhelm played 1952–1972 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 Hoyt Wilhelm (1952–1972) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1950s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Francisco Rodriguez finished with 52 wins and 1,142 strikeouts; Hoyt Wilhelm finished with 143 wins and 1,610 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Hoyt Wilhelm, with 2.52 to Francisco Rodriguez's 2.86.
- Who won more games? Hoyt Wilhelm, with 143 to Francisco Rodriguez's 52.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Hoyt Wilhelm, with 1,610 to Francisco Rodriguez's 1,142.
- Who had the better WHIP? Hoyt Wilhelm, with 1.12 to Francisco Rodriguez's 1.15.
- Who pitched more innings? Hoyt Wilhelm, with 2,254.1 to Francisco Rodriguez's 976.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Hoyt Wilhelm, with 5 to Francisco Rodriguez's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Hoyt Wilhelm, with 40,894 career Pitcher PIV to Francisco Rodriguez's 21,669.
Francisco Rodriguez
Hoyt Wilhelm
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 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Francisco Rodriguez | Hoyt Wilhelm |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 52 | Leads: 143 |
| Losses not scored | 53 | 122 |
| Games | 948 | Leads: 1,070 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 52 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 20 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 5 |
| Saves | Leads: 437 | 227 |
| Strikeouts | 1,142 | Leads: 1,610 |
| Walks not scored | 389 | 778 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 738 | 1,757 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 98 | 150 |
| Innings Pitched | 976.0 | Leads: 2,254.1 |
| ERA | 2.86 | Leads: 2.52 |
| WHIP | 1.15 | Leads: 1.12 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.53 | 6.43 |
| BB/9 | 3.59 | Leads: 3.11 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hoyt Wilhelm outpaces Francisco Rodriguez 40,894 to 21,669 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,573 PIV per season to 1,204, across 26 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.
Hoyt Wilhelm — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hoyt Wilhelm leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Francisco Rodriguez owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hoyt Wilhelm. PIV agrees: Hoyt Wilhelm 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 Hoyt Wilhelm careers compare
Hoyt Wilhelm (1952–1972) was finished before Francisco Rodriguez (2002–2017) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 948 games for Francisco Rodriguez and 1,070 for Hoyt Wilhelm across 18 and 26 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Francisco Rodriguez's edges on the table are saves (437 to 227) and strikeouts per nine (10.53 to 6.43). The per-nine rows read 10.53 strikeouts and 3.59 walks for Francisco Rodriguez, 6.43 and 3.11 for Hoyt Wilhelm. Francisco Rodriguez worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 948 games, 437 saves), and Hoyt Wilhelm worked mostly in relief (52 starts in 1,070 games, 227 saves).
Francisco Rodriguez vs Hoyt Wilhelm: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Francisco Rodriguez or Hoyt Wilhelm?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hoyt Wilhelm leads Francisco Rodriguez in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Hoyt Wilhelm, with 2.52 to Francisco Rodriguez's 2.86.
- Who won more games?
- Hoyt Wilhelm, with 143 to Francisco Rodriguez's 52.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Hoyt Wilhelm, with 1,610 to Francisco Rodriguez's 1,142.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Hoyt Wilhelm, with 1.12 to Francisco Rodriguez's 1.15.