Rich Gossage vs Ron Guidry: Career Stats Comparison
Rich Gossage (1972–1994) and Ron Guidry (1975–1988) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Rich Gossage compiled 124 wins and 1,502 strikeouts; Ron Guidry put up 170 wins and 1,778 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Rich Gossage
Ron Guidry
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 | Rich Gossage | Ron Guidry |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 124 | 170 |
| Losses | 107 | 91 |
| Games | 1,002 | 368 |
| Games Started | 37 | 323 |
| Complete Games | 16 | 95 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 26 |
| Saves | 310 | 4 |
| Strikeouts | 1,502 | 1,778 |
| Walks | 732 | 633 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,497 | 2,198 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 119 | 226 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,809 | 2,392 |
| ERA | 3.01 | 3.29 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | 7.47 | 6.69 |
| BB/9 | 3.64 | 2.38 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ron Guidry outpaces Rich Gossage 37,878 to 28,157 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,706 vs 1,224 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Rich Gossage — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Ron Guidry — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ron Guidry leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Rich Gossage owns ERA and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ron Guidry. PIV agrees: Ron Guidry grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.