Dwight Gooden vs Jimmy Key: Career Stats Comparison
Dwight Gooden 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). Dwight Gooden played 1984–2000 as a pitcher; Jimmy Key played 1984–1998 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
Dwight Gooden (1984–2000) and Jimmy Key (1984–1998) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Dwight Gooden finished with 194 wins and 2,293 strikeouts; Jimmy Key finished with 186 wins and 1,538 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Neither — both are at 3.51.
- Who won more games? Dwight Gooden, with 194 to Jimmy Key's 186.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Dwight Gooden, with 2,293 to Jimmy Key's 1,538.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jimmy Key, with 1.23 to Dwight Gooden's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Dwight Gooden, with 2,800.2 to Jimmy Key's 2,591.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Dwight Gooden, with 24 to Jimmy Key's 13.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Dwight Gooden, with 55,535 career Pitcher PIV to Jimmy Key's 19,114.
Dwight Gooden
Jimmy Key
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 | Dwight Gooden | Jimmy Key |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 194 | 186 |
| Losses not scored | 112 | 117 |
| Games | 430 | Leads: 470 |
| Games Started | Leads: 410 | 389 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 68 | 34 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 24 | 13 |
| Saves | 3 | Leads: 10 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,293 | 1,538 |
| Walks not scored | 954 | 668 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,564 | 2,518 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 210 | 254 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,800.2 | 2,591.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.51 | 3.51 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.23 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.37 | 5.34 |
| BB/9 | 3.07 | Leads: 2.32 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dwight Gooden outpaces Jimmy Key 55,535 to 19,114 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,085 PIV per season to 1,274, across 18 seasons to 15. 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).
Dwight Gooden — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Jimmy Key — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dwight Gooden leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while Jimmy Key owns WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dwight Gooden. PIV agrees: Dwight Gooden grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Dwight Gooden and Jimmy Key careers compare
From 1984 through 1998, Dwight Gooden and Jimmy Key were in the majors together. With 430 games against 470 across 18 and 15 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Jimmy Key comes out ahead, it is in games (470 to 430), saves (10 to 3), and WHIP (1.23 to 1.26). The per-nine rows read 7.37 strikeouts and 3.07 walks for Dwight Gooden, 5.34 and 2.32 for Jimmy Key. Both had the same role: Dwight Gooden was mainly a starter (410 starts in 430 games); Jimmy Key was mainly a starter (389 starts in 470 games). Jimmy Key allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.23 WHIP to Dwight Gooden's 1.26.
Dwight Gooden vs Jimmy Key: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dwight Gooden or Jimmy Key?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dwight Gooden leads Jimmy Key in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Neither — both are at 3.51.
- Who won more games?
- Dwight Gooden, with 194 to Jimmy Key's 186.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Dwight Gooden, with 2,293 to Jimmy Key's 1,538.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jimmy Key, with 1.23 to Dwight Gooden's 1.26.