Larry Andersen vs Rich Gossage: Career Stats Comparison
Larry Andersen (1975–1994) and Rich Gossage (1972–1994) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Larry Andersen compiled 40 wins and 758 strikeouts; Rich Gossage put up 124 wins and 1,502 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Larry Andersen
Rich Gossage
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Larry Andersen | Rich Gossage |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 40 | 124 |
| Losses | 39 | 107 |
| Games | 699 | 1,002 |
| Games Started | 1 | 37 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 16 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 49 | 310 |
| Strikeouts | 758 | 1,502 |
| Walks | 311 | 732 |
| Hits Allowed | 932 | 1,497 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 58 | 119 |
| Innings Pitched | 995 | 1,809 |
| ERA | 3.15 | 3.01 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | 1.23 |
| K/9 | 6.85 | 7.47 |
| BB/9 | 2.81 | 3.64 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rich Gossage leads Larry Andersen 28,157 to 22,588 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,224 vs 1,189 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Larry Andersen — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Rich Gossage — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rich Gossage leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Larry Andersen owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rich Gossage. PIV agrees: Rich Gossage grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.