Babe Adams vs Herb Pennock: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Adams (1906–1926) and Herb Pennock (1912–1934) — 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; Herb Pennock put up 240 wins and 1,227 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Babe Adams
Herb Pennock
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 | Herb Pennock |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 194 | 240 |
| Losses | 140 | 162 |
| Games | 482 | 617 |
| Games Started | 355 | 420 |
| Complete Games | 206 | 247 |
| Shutouts | 44 | 35 |
| Saves | 15 | 32 |
| Strikeouts | 1,036 | 1,227 |
| Walks | 430 | 916 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,841 | 3,900 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 68 | 128 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,995 | 3,571 |
| ERA | 2.76 | 3.60 |
| WHIP | 1.09 | 1.35 |
| K/9 | 3.11 | 3.09 |
| BB/9 | 1.29 | 2.31 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Adams outpaces Herb Pennock 41,399 to 29,181 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,179 vs 1,269 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)
Herb Pennock — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Babe Adams leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Herb Pennock owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Babe Adams. PIV agrees: Babe Adams grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.