Eddie Plank vs Amos Rusie: Career Stats Comparison
Eddie Plank has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Eddie Plank played 1901–1917 as a pitcher; Amos Rusie played 1889–1901 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
Eddie Plank (1901–1917) and Amos Rusie (1889–1901) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 1880s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Eddie Plank finished with 326 wins and 2,246 strikeouts; Amos Rusie finished with 246 wins and 1,950 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Eddie Plank, with 2.35 to Amos Rusie's 3.07.
- Who won more games? Eddie Plank, with 326 to Amos Rusie's 246.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Eddie Plank, with 2,246 to Amos Rusie's 1,950.
- Who had the better WHIP? Eddie Plank, with 1.12 to Amos Rusie's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Eddie Plank, with 4,495.2 to Amos Rusie's 3,778.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Eddie Plank, with 69 to Amos Rusie's 30.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Eddie Plank, with 51,914 career Pitcher PIV to Amos Rusie's 43,707.
Eddie Plank
Amos Rusie
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 1900s and the 1880s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Eddie Plank | Amos Rusie |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 326 | 246 |
| Losses not scored | 194 | 174 |
| Games | Leads: 623 | 463 |
| Games Started | Leads: 529 | 427 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 410 | 393 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 69 | 30 |
| Saves | Leads: 23 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,246 | 1,950 |
| Walks not scored | 1,072 | 1,707 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,958 | 3,389 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 42 | 75 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,495.2 | 3,778.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.35 | 3.07 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.12 | 1.35 |
| K/9 | 4.50 | Leads: 4.64 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.15 | 4.07 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Eddie Plank leads Amos Rusie 51,914 to 43,707 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Eddie Plank played 17 seasons to Amos Rusie's 10, while Amos Rusie carries the higher per-season figure (4,371 to 3,054). 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).
Eddie Plank — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Amos Rusie — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Eddie Plank leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Amos Rusie owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but 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 Eddie Plank and Amos Rusie careers compare
From 1901 through 1901, Eddie Plank and Amos Rusie were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 623 games for Eddie Plank and 463 for Amos Rusie across 17 and 10 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Amos Rusie are strikeouts per nine (4.64 to 4.50). By rate, Eddie Plank struck out 4.50 and walked 2.15 per nine innings; Amos Rusie struck out 4.64 and walked 4.07. Both had the same role: Eddie Plank was mainly a starter (529 starts in 623 games); Amos Rusie was mainly a starter (427 starts in 463 games).
Eddie Plank vs Amos Rusie: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Eddie Plank or Amos Rusie?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Eddie Plank leads Amos Rusie in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Eddie Plank, with 2.35 to Amos Rusie's 3.07.
- Who won more games?
- Eddie Plank, with 326 to Amos Rusie's 246.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Eddie Plank, with 2,246 to Amos Rusie's 1,950.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Eddie Plank, with 1.12 to Amos Rusie's 1.35.