Eric Gagne vs Kerry Wood: Career Stats Comparison
Kerry Wood 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). Eric Gagne played 1999–2008 as a pitcher; Kerry Wood played 1998–2012 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
Eric Gagne (1999–2008) and Kerry Wood (1998–2012) — both came up during the 1990s, so the matchup is a direct one. Eric Gagne finished with 33 wins and 718 strikeouts; Kerry Wood finished with 86 wins and 1,582 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Eric Gagne, with 3.47 to Kerry Wood's 3.67.
- Who won more games? Kerry Wood, with 86 to Eric Gagne's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Kerry Wood, with 1,582 to Eric Gagne's 718.
- Who had the better WHIP? Eric Gagne, with 1.16 to Kerry Wood's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Kerry Wood, with 1,380.0 to Eric Gagne's 643.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Kerry Wood, with 5 to Eric Gagne's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Kerry Wood, with 20,852 career Pitcher PIV to Eric Gagne's 14,441.
Kerry Wood
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 | Eric Gagne | Kerry Wood |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 33 | Leads: 86 |
| Losses not scored | 26 | 75 |
| Games | 402 | Leads: 446 |
| Games Started | 48 | Leads: 178 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 11 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 5 |
| Saves | Leads: 187 | 63 |
| Strikeouts | 718 | Leads: 1,582 |
| Walks not scored | 226 | 666 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 518 | 1,083 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 76 | 148 |
| Innings Pitched | 643.2 | Leads: 1,380.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.47 | 3.67 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.16 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | 10.04 | Leads: 10.32 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.16 | 4.34 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Kerry Wood outpaces Eric Gagne 20,852 to 14,441 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,390 PIV per season to 1,313, across 15 seasons to 11. 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).
Eric Gagne — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
Kerry Wood — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Kerry Wood leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Eric Gagne owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Kerry Wood. PIV agrees: Kerry Wood grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Eric Gagne and Kerry Wood careers compare
The careers of Eric Gagne (1999–2008) and Kerry Wood (1998–2012) overlapped from 1999 to 2008, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 402 games for Eric Gagne and 446 for Kerry Wood across 11 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Eric Gagne's edges on the table are saves (187 to 63), ERA (3.47 to 3.67), and WHIP (1.16 to 1.27). The per-nine rows read 10.04 strikeouts and 3.16 walks for Eric Gagne, 10.32 and 4.34 for Kerry Wood.
Eric Gagne vs Kerry Wood: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Eric Gagne or Kerry Wood?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Kerry Wood leads Eric Gagne in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Eric Gagne, with 3.47 to Kerry Wood's 3.67.
- Who won more games?
- Kerry Wood, with 86 to Eric Gagne's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Kerry Wood, with 1,582 to Eric Gagne's 718.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Eric Gagne, with 1.16 to Kerry Wood's 1.27.