Keith Foulke vs Eric Gagne: Career Stats Comparison
Keith Foulke 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). Keith Foulke played 1997–2008 as a pitcher; Eric Gagne played 1999–2008 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
Keith Foulke (1997–2008) and Eric Gagne (1999–2008) — both came up during the 1990s, so the matchup is a direct one. Keith Foulke finished with 41 wins and 718 strikeouts; Eric Gagne finished with 33 wins and 718 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Keith Foulke, with 3.33 to Eric Gagne's 3.47.
- Who won more games? Keith Foulke, with 41 to Eric Gagne's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Neither — both are at 718.
- Who had the better WHIP? Keith Foulke, with 1.08 to Eric Gagne's 1.16.
- Who pitched more innings? Keith Foulke, with 786.2 to Eric Gagne's 643.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Keith Foulke, with 15,363 career Pitcher PIV to Eric Gagne's 14,441.
Keith Foulke
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 | Keith Foulke | Eric Gagne |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 41 | 33 |
| Losses not scored | 37 | 26 |
| Games | Leads: 619 | 402 |
| Games Started | 8 | Leads: 48 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 191 | 187 |
| Strikeouts | 718 | 718 |
| Walks not scored | 194 | 226 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 652 | 518 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 94 | 76 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 786.2 | 643.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.33 | 3.47 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.08 | 1.16 |
| K/9 | 8.21 | Leads: 10.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.22 | 3.16 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Keith Foulke edges Eric Gagne 15,363 to 14,441 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Keith Foulke played 12 seasons to Eric Gagne's 11, while Eric Gagne carries the higher per-season figure (1,313 to 1,280). 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).
Keith Foulke
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Eric Gagne — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Keith Foulke leads in wins, ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Eric Gagne owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Keith Foulke. PIV agrees: Keith Foulke grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Keith Foulke and Eric Gagne careers compare
From 1999 through 2008, Keith Foulke and Eric Gagne were in the majors together. The table compares 619 games of Keith Foulke with 402 of Eric Gagne across 12 and 11 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Eric Gagne are starts (48 to 8) and strikeouts per nine (10.04 to 8.21). The per-nine rows read 8.21 strikeouts and 2.22 walks for Keith Foulke, 10.04 and 3.16 for Eric Gagne. Both had the same role: Keith Foulke worked mostly in relief (8 starts in 619 games, 191 saves); Eric Gagne worked mostly in relief (48 starts in 402 games, 187 saves).
Keith Foulke vs Eric Gagne: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Keith Foulke or Eric Gagne?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Keith Foulke leads Eric Gagne in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Keith Foulke, with 3.33 to Eric Gagne's 3.47.
- Who won more games?
- Keith Foulke, with 41 to Eric Gagne's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Neither — both are at 718.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Keith Foulke, with 1.08 to Eric Gagne's 1.16.