John Franco vs Tom Gordon: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Gordon 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). John Franco played 1984–2005 as a pitcher; Tom Gordon played 1988–2009 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
John Franco (1984–2005) and Tom Gordon (1988–2009) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. John Franco finished with 90 wins and 975 strikeouts; Tom Gordon finished with 138 wins and 1,928 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? John Franco, with 2.89 to Tom Gordon's 3.96.
- Who won more games? Tom Gordon, with 138 to John Franco's 90.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Gordon, with 1,928 to John Franco's 975.
- Who had the better WHIP? John Franco, with 1.33 to Tom Gordon's 1.36.
- Who pitched more innings? Tom Gordon, with 2,108.0 to John Franco's 1,245.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tom Gordon, with 4 to John Franco's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tom Gordon, with 29,014 career Pitcher PIV to John Franco's 22,498.
John Franco
Tom Gordon
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 | John Franco | Tom Gordon |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 90 | Leads: 138 |
| Losses not scored | 87 | 126 |
| Games | Leads: 1,119 | 890 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 203 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 18 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 4 |
| Saves | Leads: 424 | 158 |
| Strikeouts | 975 | Leads: 1,928 |
| Walks not scored | 495 | 977 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,166 | 1,889 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 81 | 176 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,245.2 | Leads: 2,108.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.89 | 3.96 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.33 | 1.36 |
| K/9 | 7.04 | Leads: 8.23 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.58 | 4.17 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tom Gordon leads John Franco 29,014 to 22,498 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,319 PIV per season to 1,071, across 22 seasons to 21. 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).
John Franco
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Tom Gordon — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tom Gordon leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while John Franco owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tom Gordon. PIV agrees: Tom Gordon grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the John Franco and Tom Gordon careers compare
John Franco and Tom Gordon were active at the same time between 1988 and 2005. With 1,119 games against 890 across 21 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The per-nine rows read 7.04 strikeouts and 3.58 walks for John Franco, 8.23 and 4.17 for Tom Gordon. John Franco worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 1,119 games, 424 saves), while Tom Gordon split time between starting and relief (203 starts in 890 games). In WHIP, John Franco's 1.33 beats Tom Gordon's 1.36. John Franco has no qualifying season for the peak list, while Tom Gordon's best is 1993.
John Franco vs Tom Gordon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John Franco or Tom Gordon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tom Gordon leads John Franco in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- John Franco, with 2.89 to Tom Gordon's 3.96.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Gordon, with 138 to John Franco's 90.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Gordon, with 1,928 to John Franco's 975.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- John Franco, with 1.33 to Tom Gordon's 1.36.