Tom Gordon vs Trevor Hoffman: Career Stats Comparison

Tom Gordon (1988–2009) and Trevor Hoffman (1993–2010) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Tom Gordon compiled 138 wins and 1,928 strikeouts; Trevor Hoffman put up 61 wins and 1,133 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Tom Gordon

Pitcher · 1988–2009
Wins
138
Losses
126
Strikeouts
1,928
ERA
3.96
WHIP
1.36
IP
2,108
View Tom Gordon's full profile →

Trevor Hoffman

Pitcher · 1993–2010
Wins
61
Losses
75
Strikeouts
1,133
ERA
2.87
WHIP
1.06
IP
1,089
View Trevor Hoffman's full profile →

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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.

Statistic Tom Gordon Trevor Hoffman
Wins 138 61
Losses 126 75
Games 890 1,035
Games Started 203 0
Complete Games 18 0
Shutouts 4 0
Saves 158 601
Strikeouts 1,928 1,133
Walks 977 307
Hits Allowed 1,889 846
Home Runs Allowed 176 100
Innings Pitched 2,108 1,089
ERA 3.96 2.87
WHIP 1.36 1.06
K/9 8.23 9.36
BB/9 4.17 2.54

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Trevor Hoffman leads Tom Gordon 37,065 to 29,014 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,951 vs 1,319 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Tom Gordon
29,014
Career Pitcher PIV · 1,319 per season (22 seasons)
Trevor Hoffman
37,065
Career Pitcher PIV · 1,951 per season (19 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).

Tom Gordon — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19933.58 ERA12-6, 143 K in 155 IP
19893.64 ERA17-9, 153 K in 163 IP
19903.73 ERA12-11, 175 K in 195 IP

Trevor Hoffman — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Trevor Hoffman leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Tom Gordon owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Trevor Hoffman. PIV agrees: Trevor Hoffman grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

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