Emmanuel Clase vs Tom Gordon: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Gordon 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). Emmanuel Clase played 2019–2025 as a pitcher; Tom Gordon played 1988–2009 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
Emmanuel Clase (2019–2025) and Tom Gordon (1988–2009) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Emmanuel Clase finished with 21 wins and 349 strikeouts; Tom Gordon finished with 138 wins and 1,928 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Emmanuel Clase, with 1.88 to Tom Gordon's 3.96.
- Who won more games? Tom Gordon, with 138 to Emmanuel Clase's 21.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Gordon, with 1,928 to Emmanuel Clase's 349.
- Who had the better WHIP? Emmanuel Clase, with 0.94 to Tom Gordon's 1.36.
- Who pitched more innings? Tom Gordon, with 2,108.0 to Emmanuel Clase's 360.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tom Gordon, with 4 to Emmanuel Clase's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tom Gordon, with 29,014 career Pitcher PIV to Emmanuel Clase's 15,946.
Emmanuel Clase
Tom Gordon
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 2010s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Emmanuel Clase | Tom Gordon |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 21 | Leads: 138 |
| Losses not scored | 26 | 126 |
| Games | 366 | Leads: 890 |
| Games Started | 1 | Leads: 203 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 18 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 4 |
| Saves | Leads: 182 | 158 |
| Strikeouts | 349 | Leads: 1,928 |
| Walks not scored | 70 | 977 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 267 | 1,889 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 15 | 176 |
| Innings Pitched | 360.0 | Leads: 2,108.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 1.88 | 3.96 |
| WHIP | Leads: 0.94 | 1.36 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.72 | 8.23 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.75 | 4.17 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tom Gordon outpaces Emmanuel Clase 29,014 to 15,946 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Tom Gordon played 22 seasons to Emmanuel Clase's 6, while Emmanuel Clase carries the higher per-season figure (2,658 to 1,319). 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).
Emmanuel Clase
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Tom Gordon — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tom Gordon leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Emmanuel Clase owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tom Gordon. PIV agrees: Tom Gordon grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Emmanuel Clase and Tom Gordon careers compare
No season is shared: Tom Gordon played 1988–2009, Emmanuel Clase 2019–2025. The table compares 366 games of Emmanuel Clase with 890 of Tom Gordon across 6 and 22 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The per-nine rows read 8.72 strikeouts and 1.75 walks for Emmanuel Clase, 8.23 and 4.17 for Tom Gordon. Emmanuel Clase worked mostly in relief (1 starts in 366 games, 182 saves), while Tom Gordon split time between starting and relief (203 starts in 890 games). In WHIP, Emmanuel Clase's 0.94 beats Tom Gordon's 1.36. Only Tom Gordon has a season on the peak list; Emmanuel Clase never reached the qualifying workload.
Emmanuel Clase vs Tom Gordon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Emmanuel Clase or Tom Gordon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tom Gordon leads Emmanuel Clase in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Emmanuel Clase, with 1.88 to Tom Gordon's 3.96.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Gordon, with 138 to Emmanuel Clase's 21.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Gordon, with 1,928 to Emmanuel Clase's 349.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Emmanuel Clase, with 0.94 to Tom Gordon's 1.36.