Addie Joss vs Rube Waddell: Career Stats Comparison
Rube Waddell 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). Addie Joss played 1902–1910 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
Addie Joss (1902–1910) and Rube Waddell (1897–1910) — they debuted in the 1900s and the 1890s respectively and share 9 seasons. Addie Joss finished with 160 wins and 920 strikeouts; Rube Waddell finished with 193 wins and 2,316 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Rube Waddell, in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Addie Joss, with 1.89 to Rube Waddell's 2.16.
- Who won more games? Rube Waddell, with 193 to Addie Joss's 160.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rube Waddell, with 2,316 to Addie Joss's 920.
- Who had the better WHIP? Addie Joss, with 0.97 to Rube Waddell's 1.10.
- How many innings did each pitch? Addie Joss 2,327.0, Rube Waddell 2,961.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Rube Waddell, with 50 to Addie Joss's 45.
Addie Joss
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. 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 | Addie Joss | Rube Waddell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 160 | Leads: 193 |
| Losses not scored | 97 | 143 |
| Games not scored | 286 | 407 |
| Games Started not scored | 260 | 340 |
| Complete Games | 234 | Leads: 261 |
| Shutouts | 45 | Leads: 50 |
| Saves not scored | 5 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 920 | Leads: 2,316 |
| Walks not scored | 364 | 803 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,888 | 2,460 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 19 | 37 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,327.0 | 2,961.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 1.89 | 2.16 |
| WHIP | Leads: 0.97 | 1.10 |
| K/9 | 3.56 | Leads: 7.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.41 | 2.44 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rube Waddell outpaces Addie Joss 69,450 to 29,177 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,342 PIV per season to 3,242, across 13 seasons to 9. 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).
Addie Joss — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Rube Waddell — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Rube Waddell leads 5 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Addie Joss leads 3: ERA, WHIP, and walks per nine. 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
How the Addie Joss and Rube Waddell careers compare
The careers of Addie Joss (1902–1910) and Rube Waddell (1897–1910) overlapped from 1902 to 1910, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 286 games against 407 across 9 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Addie Joss are ERA (1.89 to 2.16), WHIP (0.97 to 1.10), and walks per nine (1.41 to 2.44). The per-nine rows read 3.56 strikeouts and 1.41 walks for Addie Joss, 7.04 and 2.44 for Rube Waddell. Addie Joss was mainly a starter (260 starts in 286 games), and Rube Waddell was mainly a starter (340 starts in 407 games).
Addie Joss vs Rube Waddell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Addie Joss or Rube Waddell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rube Waddell leads Addie Joss in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Addie Joss, with 1.89 to Rube Waddell's 2.16.
- Who won more games?
- Rube Waddell, with 193 to Addie Joss's 160.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rube Waddell, with 2,316 to Addie Joss's 920.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Addie Joss, with 0.97 to Rube Waddell's 1.10.