Lefty Gomez vs Eppa Rixey: Career Stats Comparison
Eppa Rixey has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Lefty Gomez played 1930–1943 as a pitcher; Eppa Rixey played 1912–1933 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
Lefty Gomez (1930–1943) and Eppa Rixey (1912–1933) — breaking in during the 1930s and the 1910s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Lefty Gomez finished with 189 wins and 1,468 strikeouts; Eppa Rixey finished with 266 wins and 1,350 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Eppa Rixey, with 3.15 to Lefty Gomez's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Eppa Rixey, with 266 to Lefty Gomez's 189.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lefty Gomez, with 1,468 to Eppa Rixey's 1,350.
- Who had the better WHIP? Eppa Rixey, with 1.27 to Lefty Gomez's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Eppa Rixey, with 4,494.2 to Lefty Gomez's 2,503.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Eppa Rixey, with 37 to Lefty Gomez's 28.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Eppa Rixey, with 45,675 career Pitcher PIV to Lefty Gomez's 15,583.
Lefty Gomez
Eppa Rixey
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 1930s and the 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lefty Gomez | Eppa Rixey |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 189 | Leads: 266 |
| Losses not scored | 102 | 251 |
| Games | 368 | Leads: 692 |
| Games Started | 320 | Leads: 552 |
| Complete Games | 173 | Leads: 290 |
| Shutouts | 28 | Leads: 37 |
| Saves | 9 | Leads: 14 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,468 | 1,350 |
| Walks not scored | 1,095 | 1,082 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,290 | 4,633 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 138 | 92 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,503.0 | Leads: 4,494.2 |
| ERA | 3.34 | Leads: 3.15 |
| WHIP | 1.35 | Leads: 1.27 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.28 | 2.70 |
| BB/9 | 3.94 | Leads: 2.17 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eppa Rixey outpaces Lefty Gomez 45,675 to 15,583 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,175 PIV per season to 1,113, across 21 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).
Lefty Gomez — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Eppa Rixey — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Eppa Rixey leads in wins, ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Lefty Gomez owns strikeouts and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Eppa Rixey. PIV agrees: Eppa Rixey grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lefty Gomez and Eppa Rixey careers compare
Lefty Gomez and Eppa Rixey were active at the same time between 1930 and 1933. Eppa Rixey has the far longer record, 692 games against 368 across 14 and 21 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Lefty Gomez are strikeouts (1,468 to 1,350) and strikeouts per nine (5.28 to 2.70). By rate, Lefty Gomez struck out 5.28 and walked 3.94 per nine innings; Eppa Rixey struck out 2.70 and walked 2.17. Both had the same role: Lefty Gomez was mainly a starter (320 starts in 368 games); Eppa Rixey was mainly a starter (552 starts in 692 games). In WHIP, Eppa Rixey's 1.27 beats Lefty Gomez's 1.35.
Lefty Gomez vs Eppa Rixey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lefty Gomez or Eppa Rixey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Eppa Rixey leads Lefty Gomez in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Eppa Rixey, with 3.15 to Lefty Gomez's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Eppa Rixey, with 266 to Lefty Gomez's 189.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lefty Gomez, with 1,468 to Eppa Rixey's 1,350.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Eppa Rixey, with 1.27 to Lefty Gomez's 1.35.