Rich Gossage vs Wilbur Wood: Career Stats Comparison
Wilbur Wood has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Wilbur Wood played 1961–1978 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 Wilbur Wood (1961–1978) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Rich Gossage finished with 124 wins and 1,502 strikeouts; Wilbur Wood finished with 164 wins and 1,411 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 Wilbur Wood's 3.24.
- Who won more games? Wilbur Wood, with 164 to Rich Gossage's 124.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rich Gossage, with 1,502 to Wilbur Wood's 1,411.
- Who had the better WHIP? Neither — both are at 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Wilbur Wood, with 2,684.0 to Rich Gossage's 1,809.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Wilbur Wood, with 24 to Rich Gossage's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Rich Gossage, with 28,157 career Pitcher PIV to Wilbur Wood's 13,866.
Rich Gossage
Wilbur Wood
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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rich Gossage | Wilbur Wood |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 124 | Leads: 164 |
| Losses not scored | 107 | 156 |
| Games | Leads: 1,002 | 651 |
| Games Started | 37 | Leads: 297 |
| Complete Games | 16 | Leads: 114 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 24 |
| Saves | Leads: 310 | 57 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,502 | 1,411 |
| Walks not scored | 732 | 724 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,497 | 2,582 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 119 | 209 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,809.1 | Leads: 2,684.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.01 | 3.24 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 1.23 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.47 | 4.73 |
| BB/9 | 3.64 | Leads: 2.43 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rich Gossage outpaces Wilbur Wood 28,157 to 13,866 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,224 PIV per season to 770, 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)
Wilbur Wood — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rich Gossage leads in strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while Wilbur Wood owns wins, WHIP, and innings pitched. 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 Wilbur Wood careers compare
The careers of Rich Gossage (1972–1994) and Wilbur Wood (1961–1978) overlapped from 1972 to 1978, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 1,002 games of Rich Gossage with 651 of Wilbur Wood across 23 and 18 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The per-nine rows read 7.47 strikeouts and 3.64 walks for Rich Gossage, 4.73 and 2.43 for Wilbur Wood. Rich Gossage worked mostly in relief (37 starts in 1,002 games, 310 saves), while Wilbur Wood split time between starting and relief (297 starts in 651 games). Complete games (16 to 114) show how differently the two eras used starters.
Rich Gossage vs Wilbur Wood: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rich Gossage or Wilbur Wood?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Wilbur Wood leads Rich Gossage in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rich Gossage, with 3.01 to Wilbur Wood's 3.24.
- Who won more games?
- Wilbur Wood, with 164 to Rich Gossage's 124.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rich Gossage, with 1,502 to Wilbur Wood's 1,411.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Neither — both are at 1.23.