Deacon Phillippe vs Eddie Plank: Career Stats Comparison
Eddie Plank has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Deacon Phillippe played 1899–1911 as a pitcher; Eddie Plank played 1901–1917 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
Deacon Phillippe (1899–1911) and Eddie Plank (1901–1917) — they debuted in the 1890s and the 1900s respectively and share 11 seasons. Deacon Phillippe finished with 189 wins and 929 strikeouts; Eddie Plank finished with 326 wins and 2,246 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Eddie Plank, in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Eddie Plank, with 2.35 to Deacon Phillippe's 2.59.
- Who won more games? Eddie Plank, with 326 to Deacon Phillippe's 189.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Eddie Plank, with 2,246 to Deacon Phillippe's 929.
- Who had the better WHIP? Deacon Phillippe, with 1.11 to Eddie Plank's 1.12.
- How many innings did each pitch? Deacon Phillippe 2,607.0, Eddie Plank 4,495.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Eddie Plank, with 69 to Deacon Phillippe's 27.
Deacon Phillippe
Eddie Plank
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 | Deacon Phillippe | Eddie Plank |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 189 | Leads: 326 |
| Losses not scored | 109 | 194 |
| Games not scored | 372 | 623 |
| Games Started not scored | 289 | 529 |
| Complete Games | 242 | Leads: 410 |
| Shutouts | 27 | Leads: 69 |
| Saves not scored | 12 | 23 |
| Strikeouts | 929 | Leads: 2,246 |
| Walks not scored | 363 | 1,072 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,518 | 3,958 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 41 | 42 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,607.0 | 4,495.2 |
| ERA | 2.59 | Leads: 2.35 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.11 | 1.12 |
| K/9 | 3.21 | Leads: 4.50 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.25 | 2.15 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Plank outpaces Deacon Phillippe 51,914 to 35,866 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,054 PIV per season to 2,759, across 17 seasons to 13. 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).
Deacon Phillippe — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Eddie Plank — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Eddie Plank leads 6 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Deacon Phillippe leads 2: WHIP and walks per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Eddie Plank. PIV agrees: Eddie Plank grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Deacon Phillippe and Eddie Plank careers compare
The careers of Deacon Phillippe (1899–1911) and Eddie Plank (1901–1917) overlapped from 1901 to 1911, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Eddie Plank has the far longer record, 623 games against 372 across 13 and 17 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Deacon Phillippe's edges on the table are WHIP (1.11 to 1.12) and walks per nine (1.25 to 2.15). By rate, Deacon Phillippe struck out 3.21 and walked 1.25 per nine innings; Eddie Plank struck out 4.50 and walked 2.15. Both had the same role: Deacon Phillippe was mainly a starter (289 starts in 372 games); Eddie Plank was mainly a starter (529 starts in 623 games).
Deacon Phillippe vs Eddie Plank: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Deacon Phillippe or Eddie Plank?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Eddie Plank leads Deacon Phillippe in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Eddie Plank, with 2.35 to Deacon Phillippe's 2.59.
- Who won more games?
- Eddie Plank, with 326 to Deacon Phillippe's 189.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Eddie Plank, with 2,246 to Deacon Phillippe's 929.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Deacon Phillippe, with 1.11 to Eddie Plank's 1.12.