Rich Gossage vs Francisco Rodriguez: 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; Francisco Rodriguez played 2002–2017 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 Francisco Rodriguez (2002–2017) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Rich Gossage finished with 124 wins and 1,502 strikeouts; Francisco Rodriguez finished with 52 wins and 1,142 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Francisco Rodriguez, with 2.86 to Rich Gossage's 3.01.
- Who won more games? Rich Gossage, with 124 to Francisco Rodriguez's 52.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rich Gossage, with 1,502 to Francisco Rodriguez's 1,142.
- Who had the better WHIP? Francisco Rodriguez, with 1.15 to Rich Gossage's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Rich Gossage, with 1,809.1 to Francisco Rodriguez's 976.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Rich Gossage, with 28,157 career Pitcher PIV to Francisco Rodriguez's 21,669.
Rich Gossage
Francisco Rodriguez
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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rich Gossage | Francisco Rodriguez |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 124 | 52 |
| Losses not scored | 107 | 53 |
| Games | Leads: 1,002 | 948 |
| Games Started | Leads: 37 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 16 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 310 | Leads: 437 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,502 | 1,142 |
| Walks not scored | 732 | 389 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,497 | 738 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 119 | 98 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,809.1 | 976.0 |
| ERA | 3.01 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 1.15 |
| K/9 | 7.47 | Leads: 10.53 |
| BB/9 | 3.64 | Leads: 3.59 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rich Gossage leads Francisco Rodriguez 28,157 to 21,669 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,224 PIV per season to 1,204, across 23 seasons to 18. 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)
Francisco Rodriguez
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rich Gossage leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Francisco Rodriguez owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. 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 Francisco Rodriguez careers compare
Rich Gossage (1972–1994) was finished before Francisco Rodriguez (2002–2017) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 1,002 games against 948 across 23 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The per-nine rows read 7.47 strikeouts and 3.64 walks for Rich Gossage, 10.53 and 3.59 for Francisco Rodriguez. Rich Gossage worked mostly in relief (37 starts in 1,002 games, 310 saves), and Francisco Rodriguez worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 948 games, 437 saves). In WHIP, Francisco Rodriguez's 1.15 beats Rich Gossage's 1.23. Francisco Rodriguez has no qualifying season for the peak list, while Rich Gossage's best is 1977.
Rich Gossage vs Francisco Rodriguez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rich Gossage or Francisco Rodriguez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rich Gossage leads Francisco Rodriguez in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 2.86 to Rich Gossage's 3.01.
- Who won more games?
- Rich Gossage, with 124 to Francisco Rodriguez's 52.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rich Gossage, with 1,502 to Francisco Rodriguez's 1,142.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 1.15 to Rich Gossage's 1.23.