Billy Wagner vs Brian Wilson: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Wagner 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). Billy Wagner played 1995–2010 as a pitcher; Brian Wilson played 2006–2014 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
Billy Wagner (1995–2010) and Brian Wilson (2006–2014) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Billy Wagner finished with 47 wins and 1,196 strikeouts; Brian Wilson finished with 24 wins and 407 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Billy Wagner, with 2.31 to Brian Wilson's 3.30.
- Who won more games? Billy Wagner, with 47 to Brian Wilson's 24.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Billy Wagner, with 1,196 to Brian Wilson's 407.
- Who had the better WHIP? Billy Wagner, with 1.00 to Brian Wilson's 1.36.
- Who pitched more innings? Billy Wagner, with 903.0 to Brian Wilson's 382.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Billy Wagner, with 38,470 career Pitcher PIV to Brian Wilson's 9,257.
Billy Wagner
Brian Wilson
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 1990s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Billy Wagner | Brian Wilson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 47 | 24 |
| Losses not scored | 40 | 25 |
| Games | Leads: 853 | 394 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 422 | 172 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,196 | 407 |
| Walks not scored | 300 | 175 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 601 | 343 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 82 | 22 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 903.0 | 382.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.31 | 3.30 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.00 | 1.36 |
| K/9 | Leads: 11.92 | 9.59 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.99 | 4.12 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Wagner outpaces Brian Wilson 38,470 to 9,257 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,263 PIV per season to 1,029, across 17 seasons to 9. 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).
Billy Wagner
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Brian Wilson
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Billy Wagner leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Brian Wilson owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Billy Wagner. PIV agrees: Billy Wagner grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Billy Wagner and Brian Wilson careers compare
From 2006 through 2010, Billy Wagner and Brian Wilson were in the majors together. The table compares 853 games of Billy Wagner with 394 of Brian Wilson across 17 and 9 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Every scored category on the table goes to Billy Wagner. The per-nine rows read 11.92 strikeouts and 2.99 walks for Billy Wagner, 9.59 and 4.12 for Brian Wilson. Both had the same role: Billy Wagner worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 853 games, 422 saves); Brian Wilson worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 394 games, 172 saves). Billy Wagner allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.00 WHIP to Brian Wilson's 1.36.
Billy Wagner vs Brian Wilson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Billy Wagner or Brian Wilson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Wagner leads Brian Wilson in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Billy Wagner, with 2.31 to Brian Wilson's 3.30.
- Who won more games?
- Billy Wagner, with 47 to Brian Wilson's 24.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Billy Wagner, with 1,196 to Brian Wilson's 407.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Billy Wagner, with 1.00 to Brian Wilson's 1.36.