Rube Marquard vs Rube Waddell: Career Stats Comparison
Rube Marquard and Rube Waddell are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Rube Marquard played 1908–1925 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
Rube Marquard (1908–1925) and Rube Waddell (1897–1910) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Rube Marquard finished with 201 wins and 1,593 strikeouts; Rube Waddell finished with 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 Rube Marquard's 3.08.
- Who won more games? Rube Marquard, with 201 to Rube Waddell's 193.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rube Waddell, with 2,316 to Rube Marquard's 1,593.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rube Waddell, with 1.10 to Rube Marquard's 1.24.
- Who pitched more innings? Rube Marquard, with 3,306.2 to Rube Waddell's 2,961.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Rube Waddell, with 50 to Rube Marquard's 30.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Rube Waddell, with 69,450 career Pitcher PIV to Rube Marquard's 28,636.
Rube Marquard
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. 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 1900s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rube Marquard | Rube Waddell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 201 | 193 |
| Losses not scored | 177 | 143 |
| Games | Leads: 536 | 407 |
| Games Started | Leads: 404 | 340 |
| Complete Games | 197 | Leads: 261 |
| Shutouts | 30 | Leads: 50 |
| Saves | Leads: 19 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 1,593 | Leads: 2,316 |
| Walks not scored | 858 | 803 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,233 | 2,460 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 107 | 37 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,306.2 | 2,961.1 |
| ERA | 3.08 | Leads: 2.16 |
| WHIP | 1.24 | Leads: 1.10 |
| K/9 | 4.34 | Leads: 7.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.34 | 2.44 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rube Waddell outpaces Rube Marquard 69,450 to 28,636 — driven by per-season impact — 4,961 PIV per season to 1,507 — rather than by longevity, since Rube Waddell played 14 seasons to Rube Marquard's 19. 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).
Rube Marquard — 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 strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Rube Marquard owns wins and innings pitched. 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
How the Rube Marquard and Rube Waddell careers compare
The careers of Rube Marquard (1908–1925) and Rube Waddell (1897–1910) overlapped from 1908 to 1910, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 536 games against 407 across 19 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The per-nine rows read 4.34 strikeouts and 2.34 walks for Rube Marquard, 7.04 and 2.44 for Rube Waddell. Both had the same role: Rube Marquard was mainly a starter (404 starts in 536 games); Rube Waddell was mainly a starter (340 starts in 407 games). In WHIP, Rube Waddell's 1.10 beats Rube Marquard's 1.24.
Rube Marquard vs Rube Waddell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rube Waddell, with 2.16 to Rube Marquard's 3.08.
- Who won more games?
- Rube Marquard, with 201 to Rube Waddell's 193.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rube Waddell, with 2,316 to Rube Marquard's 1,593.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rube Waddell, with 1.10 to Rube Marquard's 1.24.