Rich Gossage vs Craig Kimbrel: Career Stats Comparison
Rich Gossage has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Craig Kimbrel 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 Craig Kimbrel (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; Craig Kimbrel has 57 wins and 1,322 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Craig Kimbrel, with 2.69 to Rich Gossage's 3.01.
- Who won more games? Rich Gossage, with 124 to Craig Kimbrel's 57.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rich Gossage, with 1,502 to Craig Kimbrel's 1,322.
- Who had the better WHIP? Craig Kimbrel, with 1.04 to Rich Gossage's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Rich Gossage, with 1,809.1 to Craig Kimbrel's 867.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Craig Kimbrel, with 30,862 career Pitcher PIV to Rich Gossage's 28,157.
Rich Gossage
Craig Kimbrel
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.
Craig Kimbrel is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Rich Gossage | Craig Kimbrel |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 124 | 57 |
| Losses not scored | 107 | 53 |
| Games | Leads: 1,002 | 897 |
| Games Started | Leads: 37 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 16 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 310 | Leads: 441 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,502 | 1,322 |
| Walks not scored | 732 | 368 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,497 | 532 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 119 | 79 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,809.1 | 867.2 |
| ERA | 3.01 | Leads: 2.69 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 1.04 |
| K/9 | 7.47 | Leads: 13.71 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.64 | 3.82 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Craig Kimbrel leads Rich Gossage 30,862 to 28,157 — driven by per-season impact — 1,715 PIV per season to 1,224 — rather than by longevity, since Craig Kimbrel played 18 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)
Craig Kimbrel
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Craig Kimbrel 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 Craig Kimbrel. PIV agrees: Craig Kimbrel 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 Craig Kimbrel careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Rich Gossage's ended in 1994, and Craig Kimbrel debuted in 2010. The two careers are close in length, 1,002 games for Rich Gossage and 897 for Craig Kimbrel across 23 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Craig Kimbrel comes out ahead, it is in saves (441 to 310), ERA (2.69 to 3.01), and WHIP (1.04 to 1.23). The per-nine rows read 7.47 strikeouts and 3.64 walks for Rich Gossage, 13.71 and 3.82 for Craig Kimbrel. Craig Kimbrel's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Rich Gossage vs Craig Kimbrel: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rich Gossage or Craig Kimbrel?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rich Gossage leads Craig Kimbrel in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 2.69 to Rich Gossage's 3.01.
- Who won more games?
- Rich Gossage, with 124 to Craig Kimbrel's 57.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rich Gossage, with 1,502 to Craig Kimbrel's 1,322.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Craig Kimbrel, with 1.04 to Rich Gossage's 1.23.