John Franco vs Dan Plesac: Career Stats Comparison
John Franco and Dan Plesac are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 5–5 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). John Franco played 1984–2005 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
John Franco (1984–2005) and Dan Plesac (1986–2003) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. John Franco finished with 90 wins and 975 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? John Franco, with 2.89 to Dan Plesac's 3.64.
- Who won more games? John Franco, with 90 to Dan Plesac's 65.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Dan Plesac, with 1,041 to John Franco's 975.
- Who had the better WHIP? Dan Plesac, with 1.29 to John Franco's 1.33.
- Who pitched more innings? John Franco, with 1,245.2 to Dan Plesac's 1,072.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? John Franco, with 22,498 career Pitcher PIV to Dan Plesac's 20,030.
John Franco
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 | John Franco | Dan Plesac |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 90 | 65 |
| Losses not scored | 87 | 71 |
| Games | Leads: 1,119 | 1,064 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 14 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 424 | 158 |
| Strikeouts | 975 | Leads: 1,041 |
| Walks not scored | 495 | 402 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,166 | 977 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 81 | 105 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,245.2 | 1,072.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.89 | 3.64 |
| WHIP | 1.33 | Leads: 1.29 |
| K/9 | 7.04 | Leads: 8.74 |
| BB/9 | 3.58 | Leads: 3.38 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Franco leads Dan Plesac 22,498 to 20,030 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,071 PIV per season to 1,002, across 21 seasons to 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).
John Franco
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, John Franco leads in wins, ERA, and innings pitched, while Dan Plesac owns strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to John Franco. PIV agrees: John Franco grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the John Franco and Dan Plesac careers compare
From 1986 through 2003, John Franco and Dan Plesac were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 1,119 games for John Franco and 1,064 for Dan Plesac across 21 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. By rate, John Franco struck out 7.04 and walked 3.58 per nine innings; Dan Plesac struck out 8.74 and walked 3.38. John Franco worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 1,119 games, 424 saves), and Dan Plesac worked mostly in relief (14 starts in 1,064 games, 158 saves). In WHIP, Dan Plesac's 1.29 beats John Franco's 1.33.
John Franco vs Dan Plesac: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- John Franco, with 2.89 to Dan Plesac's 3.64.
- Who won more games?
- John Franco, with 90 to Dan Plesac's 65.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Dan Plesac, with 1,041 to John Franco's 975.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Dan Plesac, with 1.29 to John Franco's 1.33.