Rick Aguilera vs Dwight Gooden: Career Stats Comparison
Dwight Gooden has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Rick Aguilera played 1985–2000 as a pitcher; Dwight Gooden played 1984–2000 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
Rick Aguilera (1985–2000) and Dwight Gooden (1984–2000) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Rick Aguilera finished with 86 wins and 1,030 strikeouts; Dwight Gooden finished with 194 wins and 2,293 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Dwight Gooden, with 3.51 to Rick Aguilera's 3.57.
- Who won more games? Dwight Gooden, with 194 to Rick Aguilera's 86.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Dwight Gooden, with 2,293 to Rick Aguilera's 1,030.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rick Aguilera, with 1.23 to Dwight Gooden's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Dwight Gooden, with 2,800.2 to Rick Aguilera's 1,291.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Dwight Gooden, with 24 to Rick Aguilera's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Dwight Gooden, with 55,535 career Pitcher PIV to Rick Aguilera's 17,939.
Rick Aguilera
Dwight Gooden
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rick Aguilera | Dwight Gooden |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 86 | Leads: 194 |
| Losses not scored | 81 | 112 |
| Games | Leads: 732 | 430 |
| Games Started | 89 | Leads: 410 |
| Complete Games | 10 | Leads: 68 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 24 |
| Saves | Leads: 318 | 3 |
| Strikeouts | 1,030 | Leads: 2,293 |
| Walks not scored | 351 | 954 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,233 | 2,564 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 138 | 210 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,291.1 | Leads: 2,800.2 |
| ERA | 3.57 | Leads: 3.51 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.23 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | 7.18 | Leads: 7.37 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.45 | 3.07 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dwight Gooden outpaces Rick Aguilera 55,535 to 17,939 — driven by per-season impact — 3,085 PIV per season to 944 — rather than by longevity, since Dwight Gooden played 18 seasons to Rick Aguilera's 19. 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).
Rick Aguilera — top 2 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Dwight Gooden — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dwight Gooden leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while Rick Aguilera owns WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dwight Gooden. PIV agrees: Dwight Gooden grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rick Aguilera and Dwight Gooden careers compare
The careers of Rick Aguilera (1985–2000) and Dwight Gooden (1984–2000) overlapped from 1985 to 2000, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Rick Aguilera has the far longer record, 732 games against 430 across 19 and 18 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Rick Aguilera comes out ahead, it is in games (732 to 430), saves (318 to 3), and WHIP (1.23 to 1.26). The per-nine rows read 7.18 strikeouts and 2.45 walks for Rick Aguilera, 7.37 and 3.07 for Dwight Gooden. Their roles differ: Rick Aguilera worked mostly in relief (89 starts in 732 games, 318 saves); Dwight Gooden was mainly a starter (410 starts in 430 games).
Rick Aguilera vs Dwight Gooden: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rick Aguilera or Dwight Gooden?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dwight Gooden leads Rick Aguilera in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Dwight Gooden, with 3.51 to Rick Aguilera's 3.57.
- Who won more games?
- Dwight Gooden, with 194 to Rick Aguilera's 86.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Dwight Gooden, with 2,293 to Rick Aguilera's 1,030.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rick Aguilera, with 1.23 to Dwight Gooden's 1.26.