Larry Andersen vs Dan Plesac: Career Stats Comparison
Larry Andersen (1975–1994) and Dan Plesac (1986–2003) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Larry Andersen compiled 40 wins and 758 strikeouts; Dan Plesac put up 65 wins and 1,041 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Larry Andersen
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Larry Andersen | Dan Plesac |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 40 | 65 |
| Losses | 39 | 71 |
| Games | 699 | 1,064 |
| Games Started | 1 | 14 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 49 | 158 |
| Strikeouts | 758 | 1,041 |
| Walks | 311 | 402 |
| Hits Allowed | 932 | 977 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 58 | 105 |
| Innings Pitched | 995 | 1,072 |
| ERA | 3.15 | 3.64 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | 1.29 |
| K/9 | 6.85 | 8.74 |
| BB/9 | 2.81 | 3.38 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Larry Andersen leads Dan Plesac 22,588 to 20,030 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,189 vs 1,002 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).
Larry Andersen — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Dan Plesac — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dan Plesac leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Larry Andersen owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dan Plesac. Note that PIV actually grades Larry Andersen ahead, which means Dan Plesac's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.