Deacon Phillippe vs Rube Waddell: Career Stats Comparison
Deacon Phillippe (1899–1911) and Rube Waddell (1897–1910) — both came up during the 1890s, so the matchup is a direct one. Deacon Phillippe compiled 189 wins and 929 strikeouts; Rube Waddell put up 193 wins and 2,316 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Deacon Phillippe | Rube Waddell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 189 | 193 |
| Losses | 109 | 143 |
| Games | 372 | 407 |
| Games Started | 289 | 340 |
| Complete Games | 242 | 261 |
| Shutouts | 27 | 50 |
| Saves | 12 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 929 | 2,316 |
| Walks | 363 | 803 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,518 | 2,460 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 41 | 37 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,607 | 2,961 |
| ERA | 2.59 | 2.16 |
| WHIP | 1.11 | 1.10 |
| K/9 | 3.21 | 7.04 |
| BB/9 | 1.25 | 2.44 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rube Waddell outpaces Deacon Phillippe 69,450 to 35,866 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,961 vs 2,759 per year). 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
On the head-to-head card, Rube Waddell leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Deacon Phillippe owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but 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.