Jose Acosta vs. Tommy John — Career Comparison

Tommy John built a career as a starting pitcher and Jose Acosta as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. Tommy John posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 3.34 and WHIP 1.304 compared to 4.51 and 1.561 for Jose Acosta. By the career numbers, Tommy John had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.