Rich Gossage vs Alejandro Peña: Career Stats Comparison
Rich Gossage (1972–1994) and Alejandro Peña (1981–1996) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Rich Gossage compiled 124 wins and 1,502 strikeouts; Alejandro Peña put up 56 wins and 839 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Rich Gossage
Alejandro Peña
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 | Alejandro Peña |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 124 | 56 |
| Losses | 107 | 52 |
| Games | 1,002 | 503 |
| Games Started | 37 | 72 |
| Complete Games | 16 | 12 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 7 |
| Saves | 310 | 74 |
| Strikeouts | 1,502 | 839 |
| Walks | 732 | 331 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,497 | 959 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 119 | 75 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,809 | 1,057 |
| ERA | 3.01 | 3.11 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | 1.22 |
| K/9 | 7.47 | 7.14 |
| BB/9 | 3.64 | 2.82 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rich Gossage leads Alejandro Peña 28,157 to 22,404 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,224 vs 1,245 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)
Alejandro Peña — top 2 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rich Gossage leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while Alejandro Peña owns WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rich Gossage. PIV agrees: Rich Gossage grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.