Charles Bender vs Eddie Plank: Career Stats Comparison
Eddie Plank has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Charles Bender played 1903–1925 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
Charles Bender (1903–1925) and Eddie Plank (1901–1917) — both debuted in the 1900s. Charles Bender finished with 212 wins and 1,711 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 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Eddie Plank, with 2.35 to Charles Bender's 2.46.
- Who won more games? Eddie Plank, with 326 to Charles Bender's 212.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Eddie Plank, with 2,246 to Charles Bender's 1,711.
- Who had the better WHIP? Charles Bender, with 1.11 to Eddie Plank's 1.12.
- How many innings did each pitch? Charles Bender 3,017.0, Eddie Plank 4,495.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Eddie Plank, with 69 to Charles Bender's 40.
Charles Bender
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 | Charles Bender | Eddie Plank |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 212 | Leads: 326 |
| Losses not scored | 127 | 194 |
| Games not scored | 459 | 623 |
| Games Started not scored | 334 | 529 |
| Complete Games | 255 | Leads: 410 |
| Shutouts | 40 | Leads: 69 |
| Saves not scored | 34 | 23 |
| Strikeouts | 1,711 | Leads: 2,246 |
| Walks not scored | 712 | 1,072 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,645 | 3,958 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 40 | 42 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,017.0 | 4,495.2 |
| ERA | 2.46 | Leads: 2.35 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.11 | 1.12 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.10 | 4.50 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.12 | 2.15 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Plank leads Charles Bender 51,914 to 43,118 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,054 PIV per season to 2,695, across 17 seasons to 16. 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).
Charles Bender — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Eddie Plank — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Eddie Plank leads 5 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Charles Bender leads 3: WHIP, strikeouts per nine, 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 Charles Bender and Eddie Plank careers compare
Charles Bender and Eddie Plank were active at the same time between 1903 and 1917. The two careers are close in length, 459 games for Charles Bender and 623 for Eddie Plank across 16 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Charles Bender are WHIP (1.11 to 1.12), strikeouts per nine (5.10 to 4.50), and walks per nine (2.12 to 2.15). By rate, Charles Bender struck out 5.10 and walked 2.12 per nine innings; Eddie Plank struck out 4.50 and walked 2.15. Charles Bender was mainly a starter (334 starts in 459 games), and Eddie Plank was mainly a starter (529 starts in 623 games).
Charles Bender vs Eddie Plank: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Charles Bender or Eddie Plank?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Eddie Plank leads Charles Bender in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Eddie Plank, with 2.35 to Charles Bender's 2.46.
- Who won more games?
- Eddie Plank, with 326 to Charles Bender's 212.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Eddie Plank, with 2,246 to Charles Bender's 1,711.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Charles Bender, with 1.11 to Eddie Plank's 1.12.