Willie Foster vs Lefty Gomez: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Foster and Lefty Gomez are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Willie Foster played ?–1937 as a pitcher; Lefty Gomez played 1930–1943 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
Willie Foster (?–1937) and Lefty Gomez (1930–1943) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Willie Foster finished with 125 wins and 1,062 strikeouts; Lefty Gomez finished with 189 wins and 1,468 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Willie Foster, with 2.66 to Lefty Gomez's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Lefty Gomez, with 189 to Willie Foster's 125.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lefty Gomez, with 1,468 to Willie Foster's 1,062.
- Who had the better WHIP? Willie Foster, with 1.15 to Lefty Gomez's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Lefty Gomez, with 2,503.0 to Willie Foster's 1,665.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Willie Foster, with 34 to Lefty Gomez's 28.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Willie Foster, with 41,672 career Pitcher PIV to Lefty Gomez's 15,583.
Willie Foster
Lefty Gomez
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie Foster | Lefty Gomez |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 125 | Leads: 189 |
| Losses not scored | 60 | 102 |
| Games | 262 | Leads: 368 |
| Games Started | 185 | Leads: 320 |
| Complete Games | 142 | Leads: 173 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 34 | 28 |
| Saves | Leads: 14 | 9 |
| Strikeouts | 1,062 | Leads: 1,468 |
| Walks not scored | 522 | 1,095 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,397 | 2,290 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 41 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,665.0 | Leads: 2,503.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.66 | 3.34 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.15 | 1.35 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.74 | 5.28 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.82 | 3.94 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Foster outpaces Lefty Gomez 41,672 to 15,583 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,193 PIV per season to 1,113, across 19 seasons to 14. 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).
Willie Foster — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Lefty Gomez — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Foster leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Lefty Gomez owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Willie Foster. PIV agrees: Willie Foster grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Willie Foster and Lefty Gomez careers compare
From 1937 through 1937, Willie Foster and Lefty Gomez were in the majors together. With 262 games against 368 across 19 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The per-nine rows read 5.74 strikeouts and 2.82 walks for Willie Foster, 5.28 and 3.94 for Lefty Gomez. Willie Foster was mainly a starter (185 starts in 262 games), and Lefty Gomez was mainly a starter (320 starts in 368 games). In WHIP, Willie Foster's 1.15 beats Lefty Gomez's 1.35. Best seasons: 1926 for Willie Foster (1.80 ERA, 13-4, 111 K in 174 IP) and 1937 for Lefty Gomez (2.33 ERA, 21-11, 194 K in 278 IP).
Willie Foster vs Lefty Gomez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Willie Foster, with 2.66 to Lefty Gomez's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Lefty Gomez, with 189 to Willie Foster's 125.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lefty Gomez, with 1,468 to Willie Foster's 1,062.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Willie Foster, with 1.15 to Lefty Gomez's 1.35.