Rich Gossage vs Trevor Hoffman: Career Stats Comparison
Rich Gossage (1972–1994) and Trevor Hoffman (1993–2010) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Rich Gossage compiled 124 wins and 1,502 strikeouts; Trevor Hoffman put up 61 wins and 1,133 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Rich Gossage
Trevor Hoffman
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 | Trevor Hoffman |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 124 | 61 |
| Losses | 107 | 75 |
| Games | 1,002 | 1,035 |
| Games Started | 37 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 16 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 310 | 601 |
| Strikeouts | 1,502 | 1,133 |
| Walks | 732 | 307 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,497 | 846 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 119 | 100 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,809 | 1,089 |
| ERA | 3.01 | 2.87 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | 1.06 |
| K/9 | 7.47 | 9.36 |
| BB/9 | 3.64 | 2.54 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Trevor Hoffman leads Rich Gossage 37,065 to 28,157 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,951 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)
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 Rich Gossage 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.