John Lannan vs. Dale Roberts — Career Comparison

John Lannan built a career as a starting pitcher and Dale Roberts as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. John Lannan posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 4.18 and WHIP 1.454 compared to 9 and 3.000 for Dale Roberts. By the career numbers, John Lannan had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.