Rich Gossage vs Bruce Sutter: Career Stats Comparison
Rich Gossage (1972–1994) and Bruce Sutter (1976–1988) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Rich Gossage compiled 124 wins and 1,502 strikeouts; Bruce Sutter put up 68 wins and 861 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Rich Gossage
Bruce Sutter
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 | Bruce Sutter |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 124 | 68 |
| Losses | 107 | 71 |
| Games | 1,002 | 661 |
| Games Started | 37 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 16 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 310 | 300 |
| Strikeouts | 1,502 | 861 |
| Walks | 732 | 309 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,497 | 879 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 119 | 77 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,809 | 1,042 |
| ERA | 3.01 | 2.83 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | 7.47 | 7.44 |
| BB/9 | 3.64 | 2.67 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rich Gossage leads Bruce Sutter 28,157 to 23,292 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,224 vs 1,941 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)
Bruce Sutter — top 1 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rich Gossage leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Bruce Sutter owns ERA and 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.