Babe Adams vs Rube Waddell: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Adams (1906–1926) and Rube Waddell (1897–1910) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Babe Adams compiled 194 wins and 1,036 strikeouts; Rube Waddell put up 193 wins and 2,316 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Babe Adams
Rube Waddell
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 | Rube Waddell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 194 | 193 |
| Losses | 140 | 143 |
| Games | 482 | 407 |
| Games Started | 355 | 340 |
| Complete Games | 206 | 261 |
| Shutouts | 44 | 50 |
| Saves | 15 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 1,036 | 2,316 |
| Walks | 430 | 803 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,841 | 2,460 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 68 | 37 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,995 | 2,961 |
| ERA | 2.76 | 2.16 |
| WHIP | 1.09 | 1.10 |
| K/9 | 3.11 | 7.04 |
| BB/9 | 1.29 | 2.44 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rube Waddell outpaces Babe Adams 69,450 to 41,399 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,961 vs 2,179 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)
Rube Waddell — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rube Waddell leads in strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while Babe Adams owns wins, WHIP, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rube Waddell. PIV agrees: Rube Waddell grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.