Troy Percival vs Dan Plesac: Career Stats Comparison
Dan Plesac has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Troy Percival played 1995–2009 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
Troy Percival (1995–2009) and Dan Plesac (1986–2003) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Troy Percival finished with 35 wins and 781 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? Troy Percival, with 3.17 to Dan Plesac's 3.64.
- Who won more games? Dan Plesac, with 65 to Troy Percival's 35.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Dan Plesac, with 1,041 to Troy Percival's 781.
- Who had the better WHIP? Troy Percival, with 1.11 to Dan Plesac's 1.29.
- Who pitched more innings? Dan Plesac, with 1,072.0 to Troy Percival's 708.2.
- 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 Troy Percival's 10,919.
Troy Percival
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, and the 1990s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Troy Percival | Dan Plesac |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 35 | Leads: 65 |
| Losses not scored | 43 | 71 |
| Games | 703 | Leads: 1,064 |
| Games Started | 1 | Leads: 14 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 358 | 158 |
| Strikeouts | 781 | Leads: 1,041 |
| Walks not scored | 306 | 402 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 479 | 977 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 85 | 105 |
| Innings Pitched | 708.2 | Leads: 1,072.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.17 | 3.64 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.11 | 1.29 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.92 | 8.74 |
| BB/9 | 3.89 | Leads: 3.38 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dan Plesac outpaces Troy Percival 20,030 to 10,919 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,002 PIV per season to 780, across 20 seasons to 14. 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).
Troy Percival
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, and innings pitched, while Troy Percival owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. 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 Troy Percival and Dan Plesac careers compare
Troy Percival and Dan Plesac were active at the same time between 1995 and 2003. Dan Plesac has the far longer record, 1,064 games against 703 across 14 and 20 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Troy Percival comes out ahead, it is in saves (358 to 158), ERA (3.17 to 3.64), and WHIP (1.11 to 1.29). By rate, Troy Percival struck out 9.92 and walked 3.89 per nine innings; Dan Plesac struck out 8.74 and walked 3.38. Both had the same role: Troy Percival worked mostly in relief (1 starts in 703 games, 358 saves); Dan Plesac worked mostly in relief (14 starts in 1,064 games, 158 saves).
Troy Percival vs Dan Plesac: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Troy Percival or Dan Plesac?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dan Plesac leads Troy Percival in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Troy Percival, with 3.17 to Dan Plesac's 3.64.
- Who won more games?
- Dan Plesac, with 65 to Troy Percival's 35.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Dan Plesac, with 1,041 to Troy Percival's 781.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Troy Percival, with 1.11 to Dan Plesac's 1.29.