Noodles Hahn vs Rube Waddell: Career Stats Comparison
Rube Waddell has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 statistical categories compared on this page. Noodles Hahn played 1899–1906 as a pitcher; Rube Waddell played 1897–1910 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
Noodles Hahn (1899–1906) and Rube Waddell (1897–1910) — both came up during the 1890s, so the matchup is a direct one. Noodles Hahn compiled 130 wins and 917 strikeouts; Rube Waddell put up 193 wins and 2,316 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Rube Waddell, with 2.16 to Noodles Hahn's 2.55.
- Who won more games? Rube Waddell, with 193 to Noodles Hahn's 130.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rube Waddell, with 2,316 to Noodles Hahn's 917.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rube Waddell, with 1.10 to Noodles Hahn's 1.13.
- Who pitched more innings? Rube Waddell, with 2,961 to Noodles Hahn's 2,029.
- Who threw more shutouts? Rube Waddell, with 50 to Noodles Hahn's 25.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Rube Waddell, with 69,450 career Pitcher PIV to Noodles Hahn's 35,435.
Noodles Hahn
Rube Waddell
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. 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: compare them with the era in mind, or use the PIV card below, which is.
| Statistic | Noodles Hahn | Rube Waddell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 130 | Leads: 193 |
| Losses | 94 | 143 |
| Games | 243 | Leads: 407 |
| Games Started | 231 | Leads: 340 |
| Complete Games | 212 | Leads: 261 |
| Shutouts | 25 | Leads: 50 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 5 |
| Strikeouts | 917 | Leads: 2,316 |
| Walks | 381 | 803 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,916 | 2,460 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 27 | 37 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,029 | Leads: 2,961 |
| ERA | 2.55 | Leads: 2.16 |
| WHIP | 1.13 | Leads: 1.10 |
| K/9 | 4.07 | Leads: 7.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.69 | 2.44 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rube Waddell outpaces Noodles Hahn 69,450 to 35,435 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,961 vs 4,429 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).
Noodles Hahn — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Rube Waddell — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rube Waddell leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Noodles Hahn owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rube Waddell. PIV agrees: Rube Waddell grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Noodles Hahn vs Rube Waddell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Noodles Hahn or Rube Waddell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rube Waddell leads Noodles Hahn in 11 of 12 categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rube Waddell, with 2.16 to Noodles Hahn's 2.55.
- Who won more games?
- Rube Waddell, with 193 to Noodles Hahn's 130.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rube Waddell, with 2,316 to Noodles Hahn's 917.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rube Waddell, with 1.10 to Noodles Hahn's 1.13.