Jack Chesbro vs Eddie Plank: Career Stats Comparison
Eddie Plank has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jack Chesbro played 1899–1909 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
Jack Chesbro (1899–1909) and Eddie Plank (1901–1917) — breaking in during the 1890s and the 1900s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jack Chesbro finished with 198 wins and 1,265 strikeouts; Eddie Plank finished with 326 wins and 2,246 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Eddie Plank, with 2.35 to Jack Chesbro's 2.68.
- Who won more games? Eddie Plank, with 326 to Jack Chesbro's 198.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Eddie Plank, with 2,246 to Jack Chesbro's 1,265.
- Who had the better WHIP? Eddie Plank, with 1.12 to Jack Chesbro's 1.15.
- Who pitched more innings? Eddie Plank, with 4,495.2 to Jack Chesbro's 2,896.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Eddie Plank, with 69 to Jack Chesbro's 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Eddie Plank, with 51,914 career Pitcher PIV to Jack Chesbro's 22,639.
Jack Chesbro
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. 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 1890s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jack Chesbro | Eddie Plank |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 198 | Leads: 326 |
| Losses not scored | 132 | 194 |
| Games | 392 | Leads: 623 |
| Games Started | 332 | Leads: 529 |
| Complete Games | 260 | Leads: 410 |
| Shutouts | 35 | Leads: 69 |
| Saves | 5 | Leads: 23 |
| Strikeouts | 1,265 | Leads: 2,246 |
| Walks not scored | 690 | 1,072 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,647 | 3,958 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 39 | 42 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,896.2 | Leads: 4,495.2 |
| ERA | 2.68 | Leads: 2.35 |
| WHIP | 1.15 | Leads: 1.12 |
| K/9 | 3.93 | Leads: 4.50 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.14 | 2.15 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Plank outpaces Jack Chesbro 51,914 to 22,639 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,054 PIV per season to 1,887, across 17 seasons to 12. 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).
Jack Chesbro — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Eddie Plank — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Eddie Plank leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Jack Chesbro owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but 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 Jack Chesbro and Eddie Plank careers compare
Jack Chesbro and Eddie Plank were active at the same time between 1901 and 1909. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Jack Chesbro appeared in 392 games to Eddie Plank's 623. Jack Chesbro's edges on the table are walks per nine (2.14 to 2.15). The per-nine rows read 3.93 strikeouts and 2.14 walks for Jack Chesbro, 4.50 and 2.15 for Eddie Plank. Both had the same role: Jack Chesbro was mainly a starter (332 starts in 392 games); Eddie Plank was mainly a starter (529 starts in 623 games). In WHIP, Eddie Plank's 1.12 beats Jack Chesbro's 1.15.
Jack Chesbro vs Eddie Plank: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jack Chesbro or Eddie Plank?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Eddie Plank leads Jack Chesbro in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Eddie Plank, with 2.35 to Jack Chesbro's 2.68.
- Who won more games?
- Eddie Plank, with 326 to Jack Chesbro's 198.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Eddie Plank, with 2,246 to Jack Chesbro's 1,265.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Eddie Plank, with 1.12 to Jack Chesbro's 1.15.