Rollie Fingers vs Rich Gossage: Career Stats Comparison
Rollie Fingers (1968–1985) and Rich Gossage (1972–1994) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Rollie Fingers compiled 114 wins and 1,299 strikeouts; Rich Gossage put up 124 wins and 1,502 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Rollie Fingers | Rich Gossage |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 114 | 124 |
| Losses | 118 | 107 |
| Games | 944 | 1,002 |
| Games Started | 37 | 37 |
| Complete Games | 4 | 16 |
| Shutouts | 2 | 0 |
| Saves | 341 | 310 |
| Strikeouts | 1,299 | 1,502 |
| Walks | 492 | 732 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,474 | 1,497 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 123 | 119 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,701 | 1,809 |
| ERA | 2.90 | 3.01 |
| WHIP | 1.16 | 1.23 |
| K/9 | 6.87 | 7.47 |
| BB/9 | 2.60 | 3.64 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rollie Fingers leads Rich Gossage 33,082 to 28,157 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,946 vs 1,224 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).
Rollie Fingers — top 3 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, K/9, and innings pitched, while Rollie Fingers owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rich Gossage. Note that PIV actually grades Rollie Fingers ahead, which means Rich Gossage's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.