Michael Fulmer vs Rich Gossage: Career Stats Comparison
Rich Gossage has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Michael Fulmer has played 2016–present 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
Michael Fulmer (2016–present) and Rich Gossage (1972–1994) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Michael Fulmer has 37 wins and 596 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Rich Gossage finished with 124 wins and 1,502 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Rich Gossage, with 3.01 to Michael Fulmer's 3.93.
- Who won more games? Rich Gossage, with 124 to Michael Fulmer's 37.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rich Gossage, with 1,502 to Michael Fulmer's 596.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rich Gossage, with 1.23 to Michael Fulmer's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Rich Gossage, with 1,809.1 to Michael Fulmer's 693.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Michael Fulmer, with 1 to Rich Gossage's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Rich Gossage, with 28,157 career Pitcher PIV to Michael Fulmer's 4,091.
Michael Fulmer
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. 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, and the 2010s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Michael Fulmer is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Michael Fulmer | Rich Gossage |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 37 | Leads: 124 |
| Losses not scored | 51 | 107 |
| Games | 280 | Leads: 1,002 |
| Games Started | Leads: 90 | 37 |
| Complete Games | 2 | Leads: 16 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Saves | 19 | Leads: 310 |
| Strikeouts | 596 | Leads: 1,502 |
| Walks not scored | 226 | 732 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 652 | 1,497 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 77 | 119 |
| Innings Pitched | 693.1 | Leads: 1,809.1 |
| ERA | 3.93 | Leads: 3.01 |
| WHIP | 1.27 | Leads: 1.23 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.74 | 7.47 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.93 | 3.64 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rich Gossage outpaces Michael Fulmer 28,157 to 4,091 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,224 PIV per season to 409, across 23 seasons to 10. 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).
Michael Fulmer — 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, ERA, and WHIP, while Michael Fulmer owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rich Gossage. PIV agrees: Rich Gossage grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Michael Fulmer and Rich Gossage careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Rich Gossage's ended in 1994, and Michael Fulmer debuted in 2016. Rich Gossage has the far longer record, 1,002 games against 280 across 10 and 23 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Michael Fulmer are starts (90 to 37), shutouts (1 to 0), and strikeouts per nine (7.74 to 7.47). The per-nine rows read 7.74 strikeouts and 2.93 walks for Michael Fulmer, 7.47 and 3.64 for Rich Gossage. Their roles differ: Michael Fulmer split time between starting and relief (90 starts in 280 games); Rich Gossage worked mostly in relief (37 starts in 1,002 games, 310 saves). Michael Fulmer's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Michael Fulmer vs Rich Gossage: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Michael Fulmer or Rich Gossage?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rich Gossage leads Michael Fulmer in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rich Gossage, with 3.01 to Michael Fulmer's 3.93.
- Who won more games?
- Rich Gossage, with 124 to Michael Fulmer's 37.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rich Gossage, with 1,502 to Michael Fulmer's 596.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rich Gossage, with 1.23 to Michael Fulmer's 1.27.