Heath Bell vs Eric Gagne: Career Stats Comparison
Eric Gagne has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Heath Bell played 2004–2014 as a pitcher; Eric Gagne played 1999–2008 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
Heath Bell (2004–2014) and Eric Gagne (1999–2008) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Heath Bell finished with 38 wins and 637 strikeouts; Eric Gagne finished with 33 wins and 718 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Eric Gagne, with 3.47 to Heath Bell's 3.49.
- Who won more games? Heath Bell, with 38 to Eric Gagne's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Eric Gagne, with 718 to Heath Bell's 637.
- Who had the better WHIP? Eric Gagne, with 1.16 to Heath Bell's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Eric Gagne, with 643.2 to Heath Bell's 628.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Heath Bell, with 16,481 career Pitcher PIV to Eric Gagne's 14,441.
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 2000s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Heath Bell | Eric Gagne |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 38 | 33 |
| Losses not scored | 32 | 26 |
| Games | Leads: 590 | 402 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 48 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 168 | Leads: 187 |
| Strikeouts | 637 | Leads: 718 |
| Walks not scored | 214 | 226 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 584 | 518 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 48 | 76 |
| Innings Pitched | 628.2 | Leads: 643.2 |
| ERA | 3.49 | Leads: 3.47 |
| WHIP | 1.27 | Leads: 1.16 |
| K/9 | 9.12 | Leads: 10.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.06 | 3.16 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Heath Bell leads Eric Gagne 16,481 to 14,441 — driven by per-season impact — 1,498 PIV per season to 1,313 — rather than by longevity, since Heath Bell played 11 seasons to Eric Gagne's 11. 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).
Heath Bell
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Eric Gagne — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Eric Gagne leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Heath Bell owns wins. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Eric Gagne. Note that PIV actually grades Heath Bell ahead, which means Eric Gagne's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Heath Bell and Eric Gagne careers compare
From 2004 through 2008, Heath Bell and Eric Gagne were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 590 games for Heath Bell and 402 for Eric Gagne across 11 and 11 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Heath Bell comes out ahead, it is in wins (38 to 33), games (590 to 402), and walks per nine (3.06 to 3.16). The per-nine rows read 9.12 strikeouts and 3.06 walks for Heath Bell, 10.04 and 3.16 for Eric Gagne.
Heath Bell vs Eric Gagne: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Heath Bell or Eric Gagne?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Eric Gagne leads Heath Bell in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Eric Gagne, with 3.47 to Heath Bell's 3.49.
- Who won more games?
- Heath Bell, with 38 to Eric Gagne's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Eric Gagne, with 718 to Heath Bell's 637.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Eric Gagne, with 1.16 to Heath Bell's 1.27.