Rich Gossage vs Dave Righetti: Career Stats Comparison
Rich Gossage has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Dave Righetti played 1979–1995 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 Dave Righetti (1979–1995) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Rich Gossage finished with 124 wins and 1,502 strikeouts; Dave Righetti finished with 82 wins and 1,112 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Rich Gossage, with 3.01 to Dave Righetti's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Rich Gossage, with 124 to Dave Righetti's 82.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rich Gossage, with 1,502 to Dave Righetti's 1,112.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rich Gossage, with 1.23 to Dave Righetti's 1.34.
- Who pitched more innings? Rich Gossage, with 1,809.1 to Dave Righetti's 1,403.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Dave Righetti, with 2 to Rich Gossage's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Rich Gossage, with 28,157 career Pitcher PIV to Dave Righetti's 20,202.
Rich Gossage
Dave Righetti
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rich Gossage | Dave Righetti |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 124 | 82 |
| Losses not scored | 107 | 79 |
| Games | Leads: 1,002 | 718 |
| Games Started | 37 | Leads: 89 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 16 | 13 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 2 |
| Saves | Leads: 310 | 252 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,502 | 1,112 |
| Walks not scored | 732 | 591 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,497 | 1,287 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 119 | 95 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,809.1 | 1,403.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.01 | 3.46 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.23 | 1.34 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.47 | 7.13 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.64 | 3.79 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rich Gossage outpaces Dave Righetti 28,157 to 20,202 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,224 PIV per season to 1,188, across 23 seasons to 17. 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)
Dave Righetti — top 2 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rich Gossage leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Dave Righetti owns no headline categories. 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.
Related Matchups
How the Rich Gossage and Dave Righetti careers compare
Rich Gossage and Dave Righetti were active at the same time between 1979 and 1994. The two careers are close in length, 1,002 games for Rich Gossage and 718 for Dave Righetti across 23 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Dave Righetti are starts (89 to 37) and shutouts (2 to 0). The per-nine rows read 7.47 strikeouts and 3.64 walks for Rich Gossage, 7.13 and 3.79 for Dave Righetti. Rich Gossage worked mostly in relief (37 starts in 1,002 games, 310 saves), and Dave Righetti worked mostly in relief (89 starts in 718 games, 252 saves).
Rich Gossage vs Dave Righetti: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rich Gossage or Dave Righetti?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rich Gossage leads Dave Righetti in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rich Gossage, with 3.01 to Dave Righetti's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Rich Gossage, with 124 to Dave Righetti's 82.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rich Gossage, with 1,502 to Dave Righetti's 1,112.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rich Gossage, with 1.23 to Dave Righetti's 1.34.