Larry Andersen vs Dan Plesac: Career Stats Comparison
Dan Plesac has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Larry Andersen played 1975–1994 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
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 finished with 40 wins and 758 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? Larry Andersen, with 3.15 to Dan Plesac's 3.64.
- Who won more games? Dan Plesac, with 65 to Larry Andersen's 40.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Dan Plesac, with 1,041 to Larry Andersen's 758.
- Who had the better WHIP? Larry Andersen, with 1.25 to Dan Plesac's 1.29.
- Who pitched more innings? Dan Plesac, with 1,072.0 to Larry Andersen's 995.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Larry Andersen, with 22,588 career Pitcher PIV to Dan Plesac's 20,030.
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. 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, and the 1970s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Larry Andersen | Dan Plesac |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 40 | Leads: 65 |
| Losses not scored | 39 | 71 |
| Games | 699 | Leads: 1,064 |
| Games Started | 1 | Leads: 14 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 49 | Leads: 158 |
| Strikeouts | 758 | Leads: 1,041 |
| Walks not scored | 311 | 402 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 932 | 977 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 58 | 105 |
| Innings Pitched | 995.1 | Leads: 1,072.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.15 | 3.64 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.25 | 1.29 |
| K/9 | 6.85 | Leads: 8.74 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.81 | 3.38 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Larry Andersen leads Dan Plesac 22,588 to 20,030 — driven by per-season impact — 1,189 PIV per season to 1,002 — rather than by longevity, since Larry Andersen played 19 seasons to Dan Plesac's 20. 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).
Larry Andersen
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Dan Plesac
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
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.
Related Matchups
How the Larry Andersen and Dan Plesac careers compare
From 1986 through 1994, Larry Andersen and Dan Plesac were in the majors together. The table compares 699 games of Larry Andersen with 1,064 of Dan Plesac across 19 and 20 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Larry Andersen's edges on the table are ERA (3.15 to 3.64), WHIP (1.25 to 1.29), and walks per nine (2.81 to 3.38). The per-nine rows read 6.85 strikeouts and 2.81 walks for Larry Andersen, 8.74 and 3.38 for Dan Plesac. Both had the same role: Larry Andersen worked mostly in relief (1 starts in 699 games, 49 saves); Dan Plesac worked mostly in relief (14 starts in 1,064 games, 158 saves).
Larry Andersen vs Dan Plesac: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Larry Andersen or Dan Plesac?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dan Plesac leads Larry Andersen in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Larry Andersen, with 3.15 to Dan Plesac's 3.64.
- Who won more games?
- Dan Plesac, with 65 to Larry Andersen's 40.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Dan Plesac, with 1,041 to Larry Andersen's 758.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Larry Andersen, with 1.25 to Dan Plesac's 1.29.