Brian Downing vs Rich Gossage: Career Stats Comparison
Brian Downing and Rich Gossage played different roles, so their careers are compared side by side rather than scored against each other. Brian Downing played 1973–1992 as a hitter; Rich Gossage played 1972–1994 as a pitcher.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Brian Downing (1973–1992) and Rich Gossage (1972–1994) played opposite sides of the ball, so there is no honest category-by-category scoreboard for this matchup. Rich Gossage pitched, totalling 124 wins and 1,502 strikeouts; Brian Downing hit, totalling 2,099 hits and 275 home runs. Each career is shown below in its own discipline, with PIV as the one measure that spans both roles.
Quick answer
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rich Gossage, with 28,157 career PIV to Brian Downing's 22,792.
- Who won more championships? Rich Gossage, with 1 World Series title to Brian Downing's 0.
Brian Downing
Rich Gossage
Career Stats, Each in His Own Role
Rich Gossage is shown on pitching lines and Brian Downing on batting lines. Nothing is marked as a category winner, because these two cards measure different jobs — reading them cell against cell would tell you nothing.
Brian Downing — Hitter
| Statistic | Brian Downing |
|---|---|
| Games | 2,344 |
| At-Bats | 7,853 |
| Runs | 1,188 |
| Hits | 2,099 |
| Doubles | 360 |
| Triples | 28 |
| Home Runs | 275 |
| RBI | 1,073 |
| Walks | 1,197 |
| Strikeouts | 1,127 |
| Stolen Bases | 50 |
| Batting Avg | .267 |
| On-Base % | .370 |
| Slugging % | .425 |
| OPS | .796 |
Rich Gossage — Pitcher
| Statistic | Rich Gossage |
|---|---|
| Wins | 124 |
| Losses | 107 |
| Games | 1,002 |
| Games Started | 37 |
| Complete Games | 16 |
| Shutouts | 0 |
| Saves | 310 |
| Strikeouts | 1,502 |
| Walks | 732 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,497 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 119 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,809.1 |
| ERA | 3.01 |
| WHIP | 1.23 |
| K/9 | 7.47 |
| BB/9 | 3.64 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
Brian Downing carries a career batting PIV of 22,792; Rich Gossage carries a career pitching PIV of 28,157. Rich Gossage is the higher of the two at 28,157 to 22,792. Both figures adjust each season to league baselines, but batting PIV and pitching PIV are calibrated separately — so read this as a directional comparison of career impact, not a settled verdict.
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 within his own role — ERA for the pitcher (120+ innings), OPS for the hitter (300+ at-bats).
Brian Downing — top 3 seasons by OPS
Rich Gossage — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Rich Gossage and Brian Downing: one pitched and one hit, and no counting stat means the same thing on both cards. On PIV — the one metric that scores both roles against league baselines — Rich Gossage grades higher, 28,157 to 22,792. Because the batting and pitching versions of PIV are calibrated separately, that gap is a directional signal about career impact rather than a ruling on who was the better ballplayer. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Brian Downing and Rich Gossage careers compare
The careers of Brian Downing (1973–1992) and Rich Gossage (1972–1994) overlapped from 1973 to 1992, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. As a hitter, Brian Downing collected 2,099 hits and 275 home runs with a .796 OPS. As a pitcher, Rich Gossage went 124-107 with a 3.01 ERA and 1,502 strikeouts. Because one is a pitcher and the other a hitter, the page keeps their statistics in separate tables and uses PIV as the shared yardstick. Their best seasons are measured differently, .886 OPS in 1987 for Brian Downing and 1.62 ERA in 1977 for Rich Gossage.
Brian Downing vs Rich Gossage: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has the higher career PIV?
- Rich Gossage, with 28,157 career PIV to Brian Downing's 22,792.
- Who won more championships?
- Rich Gossage, with 1 World Series title to Brian Downing's 0.
- How do Brian Downing and Rich Gossage compare?
- Brian Downing played 1973–1992 and Rich Gossage played 1972–1994; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.