Deacon Phillippe vs Rube Waddell: Career Stats Comparison
Rube Waddell has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; 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
Deacon Phillippe (1899–1911) and Rube Waddell (1897–1910) — both debuted in the 1890s. Deacon Phillippe finished with 189 wins and 929 strikeouts; Rube Waddell finished with 193 wins and 2,316 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Rube Waddell, in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Rube Waddell, with 2.16 to Deacon Phillippe's 2.59.
- Who won more games? Rube Waddell, with 193 to Deacon Phillippe's 189.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rube Waddell, with 2,316 to Deacon Phillippe's 929.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rube Waddell, with 1.10 to Deacon Phillippe's 1.11.
- How many innings did each pitch? Deacon Phillippe 2,607.0, Rube Waddell 2,961.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Rube Waddell, with 50 to Deacon Phillippe's 27.
Deacon Phillippe
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. 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 | Rube Waddell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 189 | Leads: 193 |
| Losses not scored | 109 | 143 |
| Games not scored | 372 | 407 |
| Games Started not scored | 289 | 340 |
| Complete Games | 242 | Leads: 261 |
| Shutouts | 27 | Leads: 50 |
| Saves not scored | 12 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 929 | Leads: 2,316 |
| Walks not scored | 363 | 803 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,518 | 2,460 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 41 | 37 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,607.0 | 2,961.1 |
| ERA | 2.59 | Leads: 2.16 |
| WHIP | 1.11 | Leads: 1.10 |
| K/9 | 3.21 | Leads: 7.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.25 | 2.44 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rube Waddell outpaces Deacon Phillippe 69,450 to 35,866 — driven by per-season impact — 5,342 PIV per season to 2,759 — rather than by longevity, since Rube Waddell played 13 seasons to Deacon Phillippe's 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)
Rube Waddell — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Rube Waddell leads 7 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Deacon Phillippe leads 1: walks per nine. 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 Deacon Phillippe and Rube Waddell careers compare
Deacon Phillippe and Rube Waddell were active at the same time between 1899 and 1910. With 372 games against 407 across 13 and 13 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Deacon Phillippe's edges on the table are walks per nine (1.25 to 2.44). The per-nine rows read 3.21 strikeouts and 1.25 walks for Deacon Phillippe, 7.04 and 2.44 for Rube Waddell. Both had the same role: Deacon Phillippe was mainly a starter (289 starts in 372 games); Rube Waddell was mainly a starter (340 starts in 407 games). Rube Waddell allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.10 WHIP to Deacon Phillippe's 1.11.
Deacon Phillippe vs Rube Waddell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Deacon Phillippe or Rube Waddell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rube Waddell leads Deacon Phillippe in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rube Waddell, with 2.16 to Deacon Phillippe's 2.59.
- Who won more games?
- Rube Waddell, with 193 to Deacon Phillippe's 189.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rube Waddell, with 2,316 to Deacon Phillippe's 929.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rube Waddell, with 1.10 to Deacon Phillippe's 1.11.