Rich Gossage vs Kent Tekulve: Career Stats Comparison
Rich Gossage (1972–1994) and Kent Tekulve (1974–1989) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Rich Gossage compiled 124 wins and 1,502 strikeouts; Kent Tekulve put up 94 wins and 779 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Rich Gossage
Kent Tekulve
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 | Kent Tekulve |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 124 | 94 |
| Losses | 107 | 90 |
| Games | 1,002 | 1,050 |
| Games Started | 37 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 16 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 310 | 184 |
| Strikeouts | 1,502 | 779 |
| Walks | 732 | 491 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,497 | 1,305 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 119 | 63 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,809 | 1,436 |
| ERA | 3.01 | 2.85 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | 1.25 |
| K/9 | 7.47 | 4.88 |
| BB/9 | 3.64 | 3.08 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rich Gossage leads Kent Tekulve 28,157 to 22,171 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,224 vs 1,304 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)
Kent Tekulve — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rich Gossage leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Kent Tekulve owns ERA. 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.