Rich Gossage vs Kenley Jansen: Career Stats Comparison
Rich Gossage has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Rich Gossage played 1972–1994 as a pitcher; Kenley Jansen has played 2010–present 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
Rich Gossage (1972–1994) and Kenley Jansen (2010–present) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Rich Gossage finished with 124 wins and 1,502 strikeouts; Kenley Jansen has 58 wins and 1,329 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Kenley Jansen, with 2.60 to Rich Gossage's 3.01.
- Who won more games? Rich Gossage, with 124 to Kenley Jansen's 58.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rich Gossage, with 1,502 to Kenley Jansen's 1,329.
- Who had the better WHIP? Kenley Jansen, with 0.97 to Rich Gossage's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Rich Gossage, with 1,809.1 to Kenley Jansen's 972.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Kenley Jansen, with 34,863 career Pitcher PIV to Rich Gossage's 28,157.
Rich Gossage
Kenley Jansen
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 1970s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Kenley Jansen is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Rich Gossage | Kenley Jansen |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 124 | 58 |
| Losses not scored | 107 | 46 |
| Games | Leads: 1,002 | 983 |
| Games Started | Leads: 37 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 16 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 310 | Leads: 498 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,502 | 1,329 |
| Walks not scored | 732 | 305 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,497 | 634 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 119 | 95 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,809.1 | 972.1 |
| ERA | 3.01 | Leads: 2.60 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 0.97 |
| K/9 | 7.47 | Leads: 12.30 |
| BB/9 | 3.64 | Leads: 2.82 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Kenley Jansen leads Rich Gossage 34,863 to 28,157 — driven by per-season impact — 2,179 PIV per season to 1,224 — rather than by longevity, since Kenley Jansen played 16 seasons to Rich Gossage's 23. 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).
Rich Gossage — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Kenley Jansen
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Kenley Jansen 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 Kenley Jansen. PIV agrees: Kenley Jansen grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rich Gossage and Kenley Jansen careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Rich Gossage's ended in 1994, and Kenley Jansen debuted in 2010. With 1,002 games against 983 across 23 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. By rate, Rich Gossage struck out 7.47 and walked 3.64 per nine innings; Kenley Jansen struck out 12.30 and walked 2.82. Both had the same role: Rich Gossage worked mostly in relief (37 starts in 1,002 games, 310 saves); Kenley Jansen worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 983 games, 498 saves). Kenley Jansen allowed fewer baserunners, a 0.97 WHIP to Rich Gossage's 1.23. Kenley Jansen's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Rich Gossage vs Kenley Jansen: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rich Gossage or Kenley Jansen?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rich Gossage leads Kenley Jansen in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Kenley Jansen, with 2.60 to Rich Gossage's 3.01.
- Who won more games?
- Rich Gossage, with 124 to Kenley Jansen's 58.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rich Gossage, with 1,502 to Kenley Jansen's 1,329.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Kenley Jansen, with 0.97 to Rich Gossage's 1.23.