Tom Gordon vs Mariano Rivera: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Gordon and Mariano Rivera played different roles, so their careers are compared side by side rather than scored against each other. Tom Gordon played 1988–2009 as a starting pitcher; Mariano Rivera played 1995–2013 as a relief 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 Mariano Rivera (1995–2013) held different pitching jobs, so this page does not score them category by category. Tom Gordon worked mainly as a starter, with 203 starts and 138 wins; Mariano Rivera worked mainly in relief, with 1,115 games and 652 saves. Each career is shown below in its own role, with Pitcher PIV as the comparison.
Quick answer
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Mariano Rivera, with 52,571 career Pitcher PIV to Tom Gordon's 29,014.
- Who won more championships? Mariano Rivera, with 5 World Series titles to Tom Gordon's 1.
Tom Gordon
Mariano Rivera
Career Stats, Each in His Own Role
Tom Gordon is shown as a starter and Mariano Rivera as a reliever. Nothing is marked as a category winner, because a starter's totals and a reliever's totals measure different jobs.
Tom Gordon — Starting Pitcher
| Statistic | Tom Gordon |
|---|---|
| Wins | 138 |
| Losses | 126 |
| Games | 890 |
| Games Started | 203 |
| Complete Games | 18 |
| Shutouts | 4 |
| Saves | 158 |
| Strikeouts | 1,928 |
| Walks | 977 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,889 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 176 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,108.0 |
| ERA | 3.96 |
| WHIP | 1.36 |
| K/9 | 8.23 |
| BB/9 | 4.17 |
Mariano Rivera — Relief Pitcher
| Statistic | Mariano Rivera |
|---|---|
| Wins | 82 |
| Losses | 60 |
| Games | 1,115 |
| Games Started | 10 |
| Complete Games | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 |
| Saves | 652 |
| Strikeouts | 1,173 |
| Walks | 286 |
| Hits Allowed | 998 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 71 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,283.2 |
| ERA | 2.21 |
| WHIP | 1.00 |
| K/9 | 8.22 |
| BB/9 | 2.01 |
PIV Comparison
Tom Gordon carries a career Pitcher PIV of 29,014; Mariano Rivera carries a career Pitcher PIV of 52,571. Mariano Rivera is the higher of the two at 52,571 to 29,014. Pitcher PIV scores each season against that season's league and weights it by workload, so a starter's innings add to his total.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings for a starter, 40+ for a reliever).
Tom Gordon — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Mariano Rivera — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Tom Gordon and Mariano Rivera: one worked mainly as a starter and the other mainly in relief. On Pitcher PIV, Mariano Rivera is higher, 52,571 to 29,014. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tom Gordon and Mariano Rivera careers compare
Tom Gordon and Mariano Rivera were active at the same time between 1995 and 2009. Tom Gordon's pitching card shows 138 wins, a 3.96 ERA and 1,928 strikeouts. As a pitcher, Mariano Rivera went 82-60 with a 2.21 ERA and 1,173 strikeouts. One worked mainly as a starter and the other mainly in relief, so the page keeps their statistics in separate tables and compares them on Pitcher PIV. Best seasons: 1993 for Tom Gordon (3.58 ERA, 12-6, 143 K in 155 IP) and 2005 for Mariano Rivera (1.38 ERA, 7-4, 43 SV, 80 K in 78 IP).
Tom Gordon vs Mariano Rivera: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV?
- Mariano Rivera, with 52,571 career Pitcher PIV to Tom Gordon's 29,014.
- Who won more championships?
- Mariano Rivera, with 5 World Series titles to Tom Gordon's 1.
- How do Tom Gordon and Mariano Rivera compare?
- Tom Gordon played 1988–2009 and Mariano Rivera played 1995–2013; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.