Jonathan Papelbon
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (2005-2016)
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'5" / 230 lb
- MLB Debut
- 2005-07-31
- Last Game
- 2016-08-06
- Awards
- 6× All-Star · Babe Ruth Award
Full name: Jonathan Robert Papelbon
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | 36 | 689 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 368 | 725.7 | 572 | 197 | 57 | 185 | 808 | 2.44 | 24415.8 |
Career ERA 2.44 vs. league average 4.14 across their career seasons — 41.0% better than league average.
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | BOS | AL | 3 | 1 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34.0 | 33 | 10 | 17 | 34 | 2.65 | 4.29 (+38%) | -19.7 |
| 2006 | BOS | AL | 4 | 2 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 68.3 | 40 | 7 | 13 | 75 | 0.92 | 4.53 (+80%) | 4140.1 |
| 2007 | BOS | AL | 1 | 3 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 58.3 | 30 | 12 | 15 | 84 | 1.85 | 4.47 (+59%) | 2984.2 |
| 2008 | BOS | AL | 5 | 4 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 69.3 | 58 | 18 | 8 | 77 | 2.34 | 4.32 (+46%) | 4073.1 |
| 2009 | BOS | AL | 1 | 1 | 66 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 68.0 | 54 | 14 | 24 | 76 | 1.85 | 4.32 (+57%) | 2187.1 |
| 2010 | BOS | AL | 5 | 7 | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 67.0 | 57 | 29 | 28 | 76 | 3.90 | 4.08 (+5%) | 964.4 |
| 2011 | BOS | AL | 4 | 1 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 64.3 | 50 | 21 | 10 | 87 | 2.94 | 3.94 (+25%) | 3926.2 |
| 2012 | PHI | NL | 5 | 6 | 70 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 70.0 | 56 | 19 | 18 | 92 | 2.44 | 4.01 (+39%) | 1988.1 |
| 2013 | PHI | NL | 5 | 1 | 61 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 61.7 | 59 | 20 | 11 | 57 | 2.92 | 3.87 (+24%) | 1276.5 |
| 2014 | PHI | NL | 2 | 3 | 66 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 66.3 | 45 | 15 | 15 | 63 | 2.04 | 3.74 (+46%) | 2036.3 |
| 2015 | PHI | NL | 2 | 1 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 39.7 | 31 | 7 | 8 | 40 | 1.59 | 3.96 (+60%) | 953.7 |
| 2015 | WAS | NL | 2 | 2 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 23.7 | 22 | 8 | 4 | 16 | 3.04 | 3.96 (+23%) | -535.2 |
| 2016 | WAS | NL | 2 | 4 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 35.0 | 37 | 17 | 14 | 31 | 4.37 | 4.19 (-4%) | 441.1 |
| Career · 13 seasons | 41 | 36 | 689 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 368 | 725.2 | 572 | 197 | 185 | 808 | 2.44 | — | 24,416 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | BOS | AL | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2006 | BOS | AL | 59 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2007 | BOS | AL | 59 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2008 | BOS | AL | 67 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2009 | BOS | AL | 66 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2010 | BOS | AL | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2011 | BOS | AL | 63 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2012 | PHI | NL | 70 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2013 | PHI | NL | 61 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2014 | PHI | NL | 66 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2015 | PHI | NL | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2015 | WAS | NL | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 2016 | WAS | NL | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 13 seasons | 689 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | ALDS2 | BOS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 2008 | ALCS | BOS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 2008 | ALDS1 | BOS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 2007 | ALCS | BOS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 2007 | ALDS1 | BOS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 2007 | WS | BOS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 2005 | ALDS1 | BOS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | ALDS2 | BOS | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 13.50 |
| 2008 | ALCS | BOS | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 5.3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0.00 |
| 2008 | ALDS1 | BOS | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5.0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0.00 |
| 2007 | ALCS | BOS | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5.0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0.00 |
| 2007 | ALDS1 | BOS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.00 |
| 2007 | WS | BOS | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4.3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.00 |
| 2005 | ALDS1 | BOS | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 |
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1378 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 374 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Away | 315 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 374 | 390.0 | 314 | 111 | 97 | 452 | 2.56 |
| Away | 315 | 335.2 | 258 | 86 | 88 | 356 | 2.31 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-08-06 | WAS | SFG | — | 1.1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2016-08-01 | WAS | AZ | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016-07-28 | WAS | SFG | — | 0.1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016-07-26 | WAS | CLE | L | 0.0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016-07-24 | WAS | SDP | L | 0.2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2016-07-23 | WAS | SDP | W | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2016-07-22 | WAS | SDP | — | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2016-07-17 | WAS | PIT | — | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016-07-10 | WAS | NYN | SV | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2016-07-08 | WAS | NYN | SV | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 689 | 3 | 37 | 45 | 9 | 1 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | BOS | P | 17 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | BOS | P | 59 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2007 | BOS | P | 59 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | BOS | P | 67 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| 2009 | BOS | P | 66 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 2010 | BOS | P | 65 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 2011 | BOS | P | 63 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2012 | PHI | P | 70 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | PHI | P | 61 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | PHI | P | 66 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | PHI | P | 37 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 2015 | WAS | P | 22 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 2016 | WAS | P | 37 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 689 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Reliever of the Month | April |
| 2007 | Babe Ruth Award | P |
| 2007 | This Year in Baseball Closer of the Year | MLB.com GIBBY |
| 2006 | Reliever of the Month | April |
| 2006 | Rookie of the Month | April |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | WAS | NL | $10,936,574 |
| 2015 | PHI | NL | $13,000,000 |
| 2014 | PHI | NL | $13,000,000 |
| 2013 | PHI | NL | $13,000,000 |
| 2012 | PHI | NL | $11,000,058 |
| 2011 | BOS | AL | $12,000,000 |
| 2010 | BOS | AL | $9,350,000 |
| 2009 | BOS | AL | $6,250,000 |
| 2008 | BOS | AL | $775,000 |
| 2007 | BOS | AL | $425,500 |
| 2006 | BOS | AL | $335,400 |
| Total Career Earnings | $90,072,532 | ||
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi State University | Mississippi State | MS | 2001, 2002, 2003 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Rookie of the Year | AL | 2nd | 63.0 | 140 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Jonathan Papelbon (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Jonathan Papelbon
Frequently Asked Questions about Jonathan Papelbon
- What years did Jonathan Papelbon play?
- Jonathan Papelbon played in Major League Baseball from 2005 to 2016.
- Was Jonathan Papelbon a pitcher?
- Yes. Jonathan Papelbon pitched in the major leagues, recording 41 wins and 808 strikeouts.