Alejandro Peña vs Dan Plesac: Career Stats Comparison
Alejandro Peña and Dan Plesac are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Alejandro Peña played 1981–1996 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
Alejandro Peña (1981–1996) and Dan Plesac (1986–2003) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Alejandro Peña finished with 56 wins and 839 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? Alejandro Peña, with 3.11 to Dan Plesac's 3.64.
- Who won more games? Dan Plesac, with 65 to Alejandro Peña's 56.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Dan Plesac, with 1,041 to Alejandro Peña's 839.
- Who had the better WHIP? Alejandro Peña, with 1.22 to Dan Plesac's 1.29.
- Who pitched more innings? Dan Plesac, with 1,072.0 to Alejandro Peña's 1,057.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Alejandro Peña, with 7 to Dan Plesac's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Alejandro Peña, with 22,404 career Pitcher PIV to Dan Plesac's 20,030.
Alejandro Peña
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 | Alejandro Peña | Dan Plesac |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 56 | Leads: 65 |
| Losses not scored | 52 | 71 |
| Games | 503 | Leads: 1,064 |
| Games Started | Leads: 72 | 14 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 12 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 7 | 0 |
| Saves | 74 | Leads: 158 |
| Strikeouts | 839 | Leads: 1,041 |
| Walks not scored | 331 | 402 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 959 | 977 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 75 | 105 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,057.2 | Leads: 1,072.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.11 | 3.64 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.22 | 1.29 |
| K/9 | 7.14 | Leads: 8.74 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.82 | 3.38 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Alejandro Peña leads Dan Plesac 22,404 to 20,030 — driven by per-season impact — 1,245 PIV per season to 1,002 — rather than by longevity, since Alejandro Peña played 18 seasons to Dan Plesac's 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).
Alejandro Peña — top 2 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
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, K/9, and innings pitched, while Alejandro Peña owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dan Plesac. Note that PIV actually grades Alejandro Peña ahead, which means Dan Plesac's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Alejandro Peña and Dan Plesac careers compare
Alejandro Peña and Dan Plesac were active at the same time between 1986 and 1996. The table compares 503 games of Alejandro Peña with 1,064 of Dan Plesac across 18 and 20 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. By rate, Alejandro Peña struck out 7.14 and walked 2.82 per nine innings; Dan Plesac struck out 8.74 and walked 3.38. Both had the same role: Alejandro Peña worked mostly in relief (72 starts in 503 games, 74 saves); Dan Plesac worked mostly in relief (14 starts in 1,064 games, 158 saves). Alejandro Peña allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.22 WHIP to Dan Plesac's 1.29.
Alejandro Peña vs Dan Plesac: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Alejandro Peña, with 3.11 to Dan Plesac's 3.64.
- Who won more games?
- Dan Plesac, with 65 to Alejandro Peña's 56.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Dan Plesac, with 1,041 to Alejandro Peña's 839.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Alejandro Peña, with 1.22 to Dan Plesac's 1.29.