Babe Adams vs Dolf Luque: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Adams (1906–1926) and Dolf Luque (1914–1935) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 1910s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Babe Adams compiled 194 wins and 1,036 strikeouts; Dolf Luque put up 194 wins and 1,130 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Babe Adams
Dolf Luque
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 | Babe Adams | Dolf Luque |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 194 | 194 |
| Losses | 140 | 179 |
| Games | 482 | 550 |
| Games Started | 355 | 365 |
| Complete Games | 206 | 206 |
| Shutouts | 44 | 26 |
| Saves | 15 | 28 |
| Strikeouts | 1,036 | 1,130 |
| Walks | 430 | 918 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,841 | 3,231 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 68 | 113 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,995 | 3,220 |
| ERA | 2.76 | 3.24 |
| WHIP | 1.09 | 1.29 |
| K/9 | 3.11 | 3.16 |
| BB/9 | 1.29 | 2.57 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Adams outpaces Dolf Luque 41,399 to 27,566 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,179 vs 1,378 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).
Babe Adams — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Dolf Luque — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dolf Luque leads in strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Babe Adams owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dolf Luque. Note that PIV actually grades Babe Adams ahead, which means Dolf Luque's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.