Gregg Olson vs Dan Plesac: Career Stats Comparison
Dan Plesac has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Gregg Olson played 1988–2001 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
Gregg Olson (1988–2001) and Dan Plesac (1986–2003) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Gregg Olson finished with 40 wins and 588 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? Gregg Olson, with 3.46 to Dan Plesac's 3.64.
- Who won more games? Dan Plesac, with 65 to Gregg Olson's 40.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Dan Plesac, with 1,041 to Gregg Olson's 588.
- Who had the better WHIP? Dan Plesac, with 1.29 to Gregg Olson's 1.38.
- Who pitched more innings? Dan Plesac, with 1,072.0 to Gregg Olson's 672.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Dan Plesac, with 20,030 career Pitcher PIV to Gregg Olson's 10,029.
Gregg Olson
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 | Gregg Olson | Dan Plesac |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 40 | Leads: 65 |
| Losses not scored | 39 | 71 |
| Games | 622 | Leads: 1,064 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 14 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 217 | 158 |
| Strikeouts | 588 | Leads: 1,041 |
| Walks not scored | 330 | 402 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 598 | 977 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 46 | 105 |
| Innings Pitched | 672.0 | Leads: 1,072.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.46 | 3.64 |
| WHIP | 1.38 | Leads: 1.29 |
| K/9 | 7.88 | Leads: 8.74 |
| BB/9 | 4.42 | Leads: 3.38 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dan Plesac outpaces Gregg Olson 20,030 to 10,029 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,002 PIV per season to 590, across 20 seasons to 17. 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).
Gregg Olson
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, Dan Plesac leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Gregg Olson owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dan Plesac. PIV agrees: Dan Plesac grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Gregg Olson and Dan Plesac careers compare
Gregg Olson and Dan Plesac were active at the same time between 1988 and 2001. Dan Plesac has the far longer record, 1,064 games against 622 across 17 and 20 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Gregg Olson are saves (217 to 158) and ERA (3.46 to 3.64). By rate, Gregg Olson struck out 7.88 and walked 4.42 per nine innings; Dan Plesac struck out 8.74 and walked 3.38. Both had the same role: Gregg Olson worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 622 games, 217 saves); Dan Plesac worked mostly in relief (14 starts in 1,064 games, 158 saves). In WHIP, Dan Plesac's 1.29 beats Gregg Olson's 1.38.
Gregg Olson vs Dan Plesac: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gregg Olson or Dan Plesac?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dan Plesac leads Gregg Olson in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Gregg Olson, with 3.46 to Dan Plesac's 3.64.
- Who won more games?
- Dan Plesac, with 65 to Gregg Olson's 40.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Dan Plesac, with 1,041 to Gregg Olson's 588.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Dan Plesac, with 1.29 to Gregg Olson's 1.38.