Rollie Fingers vs Rich Gossage: Career Stats Comparison
Rollie Fingers has the better career line of the two, leading 4 of the 6 scored categories on this page (10 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Rollie Fingers played 1968–1985 as a pitcher; Rich Gossage played 1972–1994 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
Rollie Fingers (1968–1985) and Rich Gossage (1972–1994) — they debuted in the 1960s and the 1970s respectively and share 14 seasons. Rollie Fingers finished with 114 wins and 1,299 strikeouts; Rich Gossage finished with 124 wins and 1,502 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Rollie Fingers, in 4 of the 6 scored categories.
- Who had more saves? Rollie Fingers, with 341 to Rich Gossage's 310.
- Who had the better ERA? Rollie Fingers, with 2.90 to Rich Gossage's 3.01.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rich Gossage, with 1,502 to Rollie Fingers's 1,299.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rollie Fingers, with 1.16 to Rich Gossage's 1.23.
- Who struck out more batters per nine innings? Rich Gossage, with 7.47 to Rollie Fingers's 6.87.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Rollie Fingers, with 33,082 career Pitcher PIV to Rich Gossage's 28,157.
Rollie Fingers
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. Lower ERA, WHIP and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads. 6 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 10 are shown but not scored. Both worked mainly in relief, so saves and strikeouts are scored and wins, complete games and shutouts are not. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rollie Fingers | Rich Gossage |
|---|---|---|
| Wins not scored | 114 | 124 |
| Losses not scored | 118 | 107 |
| Games not scored | 944 | 1,002 |
| Games Started not scored | 37 | 37 |
| Complete Games not scored | 4 | 16 |
| Shutouts not scored | 2 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 341 | 310 |
| Strikeouts | 1,299 | Leads: 1,502 |
| Walks not scored | 492 | 732 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,474 | 1,497 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 123 | 119 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 1,701.1 | 1,809.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.90 | 3.01 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.16 | 1.23 |
| K/9 | 6.87 | Leads: 7.47 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.60 | 3.64 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rollie Fingers leads Rich Gossage 33,082 to 28,157 — driven by per-season impact — 1,946 PIV per season to 1,280 — rather than by longevity, since Rollie Fingers played 17 seasons to Rich Gossage's 22. 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 (40+ innings).
Rollie Fingers — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Rich Gossage — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Rollie Fingers leads 4 of the 6 scored categories on the head-to-head card: saves, ERA, WHIP, and walks per nine. Rich Gossage leads 2: strikeouts and strikeouts per nine. Both are scored as relievers. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rollie Fingers. PIV agrees: Rollie Fingers grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rollie Fingers and Rich Gossage careers compare
The careers of Rollie Fingers (1968–1985) and Rich Gossage (1972–1994) overlapped from 1972 to 1985, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 944 games for Rollie Fingers and 1,002 for Rich Gossage across 17 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Rich Gossage's edges on the table are strikeouts (1,502 to 1,299) and strikeouts per nine (7.47 to 6.87). The per-nine rows read 6.87 strikeouts and 2.60 walks for Rollie Fingers, 7.47 and 3.64 for Rich Gossage.
Rollie Fingers vs Rich Gossage: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rollie Fingers or Rich Gossage?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rollie Fingers leads Rich Gossage in 4 of the 6 scored categories.
- Who had more saves?
- Rollie Fingers, with 341 to Rich Gossage's 310.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rollie Fingers, with 2.90 to Rich Gossage's 3.01.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rich Gossage, with 1,502 to Rollie Fingers's 1,299.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rollie Fingers, with 1.16 to Rich Gossage's 1.23.