John Nelson vs. Erik Sabel — Career Comparison

John Nelson built a career as a starting pitcher and Erik Sabel as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. John Nelson posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 3.65 and WHIP 1.671 compared to 5.02 and 1.541 for Erik Sabel. By the career numbers, John Nelson had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.