Rick Aguilera vs Dan Plesac: Career Stats Comparison
Rick Aguilera has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Rick Aguilera played 1985–2000 as a pitcher; Dan Plesac played 1986–2003 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
Rick Aguilera (1985–2000) and Dan Plesac (1986–2003) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Rick Aguilera finished with 86 wins and 1,030 strikeouts; Dan Plesac finished with 65 wins and 1,041 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Rick Aguilera, with 3.57 to Dan Plesac's 3.64.
- Who won more games? Rick Aguilera, with 86 to Dan Plesac's 65.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Dan Plesac, with 1,041 to Rick Aguilera's 1,030.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rick Aguilera, with 1.23 to Dan Plesac's 1.29.
- Who pitched more innings? Rick Aguilera, with 1,291.1 to Dan Plesac's 1,072.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Dan Plesac, with 20,030 career Pitcher PIV to Rick Aguilera's 17,939.
Rick Aguilera
Dan Plesac
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rick Aguilera | Dan Plesac |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 86 | 65 |
| Losses not scored | 81 | 71 |
| Games | 732 | Leads: 1,064 |
| Games Started | Leads: 89 | 14 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 10 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 318 | 158 |
| Strikeouts | 1,030 | Leads: 1,041 |
| Walks not scored | 351 | 402 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,233 | 977 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 138 | 105 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,291.1 | 1,072.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.57 | 3.64 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.23 | 1.29 |
| K/9 | 7.18 | Leads: 8.74 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.45 | 3.38 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dan Plesac leads Rick Aguilera 20,030 to 17,939 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,002 PIV per season to 944, across 20 seasons to 19. 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).
Rick Aguilera — top 2 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Dan Plesac
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rick Aguilera leads in wins, ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Dan Plesac owns strikeouts and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rick Aguilera. Note that PIV actually grades Dan Plesac ahead, which means Rick Aguilera's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rick Aguilera and Dan Plesac careers compare
The careers of Rick Aguilera (1985–2000) and Dan Plesac (1986–2003) overlapped from 1986 to 2000, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 732 games for Rick Aguilera and 1,064 for Dan Plesac across 19 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Dan Plesac are games (1,064 to 732), strikeouts (1,041 to 1,030), and strikeouts per nine (8.74 to 7.18). By rate, Rick Aguilera struck out 7.18 and walked 2.45 per nine innings; Dan Plesac struck out 8.74 and walked 3.38.
Rick Aguilera vs Dan Plesac: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rick Aguilera or Dan Plesac?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rick Aguilera leads Dan Plesac in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rick Aguilera, with 3.57 to Dan Plesac's 3.64.
- Who won more games?
- Rick Aguilera, with 86 to Dan Plesac's 65.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Dan Plesac, with 1,041 to Rick Aguilera's 1,030.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rick Aguilera, with 1.23 to Dan Plesac's 1.29.