Babe Adams vs Eddie Plank: Career Stats Comparison
Eddie Plank has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Babe Adams played 1906–1926 as a pitcher; Eddie Plank played 1901–1917 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
Babe Adams (1906–1926) and Eddie Plank (1901–1917) — both debuted in the 1900s. Babe Adams finished with 194 wins and 1,036 strikeouts; Eddie Plank finished with 326 wins and 2,246 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Eddie Plank, in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Eddie Plank, with 2.35 to Babe Adams's 2.76.
- Who won more games? Eddie Plank, with 326 to Babe Adams's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Eddie Plank, with 2,246 to Babe Adams's 1,036.
- Who had the better WHIP? Babe Adams, with 1.09 to Eddie Plank's 1.12.
- How many innings did each pitch? Babe Adams 2,995.1, Eddie Plank 4,495.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Eddie Plank, with 69 to Babe Adams's 44.
Babe Adams
Eddie Plank
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Babe Adams | Eddie Plank |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 194 | Leads: 326 |
| Losses not scored | 140 | 194 |
| Games not scored | 482 | 623 |
| Games Started not scored | 355 | 529 |
| Complete Games | 206 | Leads: 410 |
| Shutouts | 44 | Leads: 69 |
| Saves not scored | 15 | 23 |
| Strikeouts | 1,036 | Leads: 2,246 |
| Walks not scored | 430 | 1,072 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,841 | 3,958 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 68 | 42 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,995.1 | 4,495.2 |
| ERA | 2.76 | Leads: 2.35 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.09 | 1.12 |
| K/9 | 3.11 | Leads: 4.50 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.29 | 2.15 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Plank leads Babe Adams 51,914 to 41,399 — driven by per-season impact — 3,054 PIV per season to 2,179 — rather than by longevity, since Eddie Plank played 17 seasons to Babe Adams's 19. 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)
Eddie Plank — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Eddie Plank leads 6 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Babe Adams leads 2: WHIP and walks per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Eddie Plank. PIV agrees: Eddie Plank grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Babe Adams and Eddie Plank careers compare
From 1906 through 1917, Babe Adams and Eddie Plank were in the majors together. With 482 games against 623 across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Babe Adams are WHIP (1.09 to 1.12) and walks per nine (1.29 to 2.15). By rate, Babe Adams struck out 3.11 and walked 1.29 per nine innings; Eddie Plank struck out 4.50 and walked 2.15. Babe Adams was mainly a starter (355 starts in 482 games), and Eddie Plank was mainly a starter (529 starts in 623 games). Babe Adams allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.09 WHIP to Eddie Plank's 1.12.
Babe Adams vs Eddie Plank: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Babe Adams or Eddie Plank?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Eddie Plank leads Babe Adams in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Eddie Plank, with 2.35 to Babe Adams's 2.76.
- Who won more games?
- Eddie Plank, with 326 to Babe Adams's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Eddie Plank, with 2,246 to Babe Adams's 1,036.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Babe Adams, with 1.09 to Eddie Plank's 1.12.