Tom Gordon vs Billy Wagner: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Gordon and Billy Wagner 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; Billy Wagner played 1995–2010 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 Billy Wagner (1995–2010) 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; Billy Wagner worked mainly in relief, with 853 games and 422 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? Billy Wagner, with 38,470 career Pitcher PIV to Tom Gordon's 29,014.
- Who won more championships? Tom Gordon, with 1 World Series title to Billy Wagner's 0.
Tom Gordon
Billy Wagner
Career Stats, Each in His Own Role
Tom Gordon is shown as a starter and Billy Wagner 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 |
Billy Wagner — Relief Pitcher
| Statistic | Billy Wagner |
|---|---|
| Wins | 47 |
| Losses | 40 |
| Games | 853 |
| Games Started | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 |
| Saves | 422 |
| Strikeouts | 1,196 |
| Walks | 300 |
| Hits Allowed | 601 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 82 |
| Innings Pitched | 903.0 |
| ERA | 2.31 |
| WHIP | 1.00 |
| K/9 | 11.92 |
| BB/9 | 2.99 |
PIV Comparison
Tom Gordon carries a career Pitcher PIV of 29,014; Billy Wagner carries a career Pitcher PIV of 38,470. Billy Wagner is the higher of the two at 38,470 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)
Billy Wagner — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Tom Gordon and Billy Wagner: one worked mainly as a starter and the other mainly in relief. On Pitcher PIV, Billy Wagner is higher, 38,470 to 29,014. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tom Gordon and Billy Wagner careers compare
From 1995 through 2009, Tom Gordon and Billy Wagner were in the majors together. Tom Gordon's pitching card shows 138 wins, a 3.96 ERA and 1,928 strikeouts. As a pitcher, Billy Wagner went 47-40 with a 2.31 ERA and 1,196 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 2010 for Billy Wagner (1.43 ERA, 7-2, 37 SV, 104 K in 69 IP).
Tom Gordon vs Billy Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV?
- Billy Wagner, with 38,470 career Pitcher PIV to Tom Gordon's 29,014.
- Who won more championships?
- Tom Gordon, with 1 World Series title to Billy Wagner's 0.
- How do Tom Gordon and Billy Wagner compare?
- Tom Gordon played 1988–2009 and Billy Wagner played 1995–2010; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.