Pete Alexander vs Dwight Gooden: Career Stats Comparison
Pete Alexander has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Pete Alexander played 1911–1930 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
Pete Alexander (1911–1930) and Dwight Gooden (1984–2000) — breaking in during the 1910s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Pete Alexander finished with 373 wins and 2,198 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? Pete Alexander, with 2.56 to Dwight Gooden's 3.51.
- Who won more games? Pete Alexander, with 373 to Dwight Gooden's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Dwight Gooden, with 2,293 to Pete Alexander's 2,198.
- Who had the better WHIP? Pete Alexander, with 1.12 to Dwight Gooden's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Pete Alexander, with 5,190.0 to Dwight Gooden's 2,800.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Pete Alexander, with 90 to Dwight Gooden's 24.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Pete Alexander, with 75,743 career Pitcher PIV to Dwight Gooden's 55,535.
Pete Alexander
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, and the 1910s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Pete Alexander | Dwight Gooden |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 373 | 194 |
| Losses not scored | 208 | 112 |
| Games | Leads: 696 | 430 |
| Games Started | Leads: 599 | 410 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 437 | 68 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 90 | 24 |
| Saves | Leads: 32 | 3 |
| Strikeouts | 2,198 | Leads: 2,293 |
| Walks not scored | 951 | 954 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,868 | 2,564 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 164 | 210 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,190.0 | 2,800.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.56 | 3.51 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.12 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | 3.81 | Leads: 7.37 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.65 | 3.07 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pete Alexander outpaces Dwight Gooden 75,743 to 55,535 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,607 PIV per season to 3,085, across 21 seasons to 18. 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).
Pete Alexander — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Dwight Gooden — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pete Alexander leads in wins, ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Dwight Gooden owns strikeouts and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pete Alexander. PIV agrees: Pete Alexander grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Pete Alexander and Dwight Gooden careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Pete Alexander's ended in 1930, and Dwight Gooden debuted in 1984. Pete Alexander has the far longer record, 696 games against 430 across 21 and 18 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Dwight Gooden's edges on the table are strikeouts (2,293 to 2,198) and strikeouts per nine (7.37 to 3.81). The per-nine rows read 3.81 strikeouts and 1.65 walks for Pete Alexander, 7.37 and 3.07 for Dwight Gooden. Pete Alexander was mainly a starter (599 starts in 696 games), and Dwight Gooden was mainly a starter (410 starts in 430 games). The complete-game row, 437 against 68, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games.
Pete Alexander vs Dwight Gooden: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Pete Alexander or Dwight Gooden?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pete Alexander leads Dwight Gooden in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Pete Alexander, with 2.56 to Dwight Gooden's 3.51.
- Who won more games?
- Pete Alexander, with 373 to Dwight Gooden's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Dwight Gooden, with 2,293 to Pete Alexander's 2,198.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Pete Alexander, with 1.12 to Dwight Gooden's 1.26.