Tom Gordon vs Troy Percival: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Gordon has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Tom Gordon played 1988–2009 as a pitcher; Troy Percival played 1995–2009 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
Tom Gordon (1988–2009) and Troy Percival (1995–2009) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Tom Gordon finished with 138 wins and 1,928 strikeouts; Troy Percival finished with 35 wins and 781 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Troy Percival, with 3.17 to Tom Gordon's 3.96.
- Who won more games? Tom Gordon, with 138 to Troy Percival's 35.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Gordon, with 1,928 to Troy Percival's 781.
- Who had the better WHIP? Troy Percival, with 1.11 to Tom Gordon's 1.36.
- Who pitched more innings? Tom Gordon, with 2,108.0 to Troy Percival's 708.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tom Gordon, with 4 to Troy Percival's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tom Gordon, with 29,014 career Pitcher PIV to Troy Percival's 10,919.
Tom Gordon
Troy Percival
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 1980s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Tom Gordon | Troy Percival |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 138 | 35 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 43 |
| Games | Leads: 890 | 703 |
| Games Started | Leads: 203 | 1 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 18 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 4 | 0 |
| Saves | 158 | Leads: 358 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,928 | 781 |
| Walks not scored | 977 | 306 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,889 | 479 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 176 | 85 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,108.0 | 708.2 |
| ERA | 3.96 | Leads: 3.17 |
| WHIP | 1.36 | Leads: 1.11 |
| K/9 | 8.23 | Leads: 9.92 |
| BB/9 | 4.17 | Leads: 3.89 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tom Gordon outpaces Troy Percival 29,014 to 10,919 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,319 PIV per season to 780, across 22 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).
Tom Gordon — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Troy Percival
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tom Gordon leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Troy Percival owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tom Gordon. PIV agrees: Tom Gordon grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tom Gordon and Troy Percival careers compare
Tom Gordon and Troy Percival were active at the same time between 1995 and 2009. With 890 games against 703 across 22 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The per-nine rows read 8.23 strikeouts and 4.17 walks for Tom Gordon, 9.92 and 3.89 for Troy Percival. Tom Gordon split time between starting and relief (203 starts in 890 games), while Troy Percival worked mostly in relief (1 starts in 703 games, 358 saves). In WHIP, Troy Percival's 1.11 beats Tom Gordon's 1.36. Troy Percival has no qualifying season for the peak list, while Tom Gordon's best is 1993.
Tom Gordon vs Troy Percival: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tom Gordon or Troy Percival?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tom Gordon leads Troy Percival in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Troy Percival, with 3.17 to Tom Gordon's 3.96.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Gordon, with 138 to Troy Percival's 35.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Gordon, with 1,928 to Troy Percival's 781.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Troy Percival, with 1.11 to Tom Gordon's 1.36.