Rich Gossage vs Dave Righetti: Career Stats Comparison
Rich Gossage (1972–1994) and Dave Righetti (1979–1995) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Rich Gossage compiled 124 wins and 1,502 strikeouts; Dave Righetti put up 82 wins and 1,112 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Rich Gossage | Dave Righetti |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 124 | 82 |
| Losses | 107 | 79 |
| Games | 1,002 | 718 |
| Games Started | 37 | 89 |
| Complete Games | 16 | 13 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 2 |
| Saves | 310 | 252 |
| Strikeouts | 1,502 | 1,112 |
| Walks | 732 | 591 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,497 | 1,287 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 119 | 95 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,809 | 1,403 |
| ERA | 3.01 | 3.46 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | 1.34 |
| K/9 | 7.47 | 7.13 |
| BB/9 | 3.64 | 3.79 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rich Gossage outpaces Dave Righetti 28,157 to 20,202 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,224 vs 1,188 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)
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.