Dan Plesac vs Dave Righetti: Career Stats Comparison
Dave Righetti has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Dan Plesac played 1986–2003 as a pitcher; Dave Righetti played 1979–1995 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
Dan Plesac (1986–2003) and Dave Righetti (1979–1995) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Dan Plesac finished with 65 wins and 1,041 strikeouts; Dave Righetti finished with 82 wins and 1,112 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Dave Righetti, with 3.46 to Dan Plesac's 3.64.
- Who won more games? Dave Righetti, with 82 to Dan Plesac's 65.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Dave Righetti, with 1,112 to Dan Plesac's 1,041.
- Who had the better WHIP? Dan Plesac, with 1.29 to Dave Righetti's 1.34.
- Who pitched more innings? Dave Righetti, with 1,403.2 to Dan Plesac's 1,072.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Dave Righetti, with 2 to Dan Plesac's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Dave Righetti, with 20,202 career Pitcher PIV to Dan Plesac's 20,030.
Dan Plesac
Dave Righetti
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 1980s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dan Plesac | Dave Righetti |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 65 | Leads: 82 |
| Losses not scored | 71 | 79 |
| Games | Leads: 1,064 | 718 |
| Games Started | 14 | Leads: 89 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 13 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 2 |
| Saves | 158 | Leads: 252 |
| Strikeouts | 1,041 | Leads: 1,112 |
| Walks not scored | 402 | 591 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 977 | 1,287 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 105 | 95 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,072.0 | Leads: 1,403.2 |
| ERA | 3.64 | Leads: 3.46 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.29 | 1.34 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.74 | 7.13 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.38 | 3.79 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dave Righetti edges Dan Plesac 20,202 to 20,030 — driven by per-season impact — 1,188 PIV per season to 1,002 — rather than by longevity, since Dave Righetti played 17 seasons to Dan Plesac's 20. 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).
Dan Plesac
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Dave Righetti — top 2 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dave Righetti leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Dan Plesac owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dave Righetti. PIV agrees: Dave Righetti grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Dan Plesac and Dave Righetti careers compare
Dan Plesac and Dave Righetti were active at the same time between 1986 and 1995. With 1,064 games against 718 across 20 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Dan Plesac are games (1,064 to 718), WHIP (1.29 to 1.34), and strikeouts per nine (8.74 to 7.13). By rate, Dan Plesac struck out 8.74 and walked 3.38 per nine innings; Dave Righetti struck out 7.13 and walked 3.79. Dan Plesac worked mostly in relief (14 starts in 1,064 games, 158 saves), and Dave Righetti worked mostly in relief (89 starts in 718 games, 252 saves). In WHIP, Dan Plesac's 1.29 beats Dave Righetti's 1.34.
Dan Plesac vs Dave Righetti: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dan Plesac or Dave Righetti?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dave Righetti leads Dan Plesac in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Dave Righetti, with 3.46 to Dan Plesac's 3.64.
- Who won more games?
- Dave Righetti, with 82 to Dan Plesac's 65.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Dave Righetti, with 1,112 to Dan Plesac's 1,041.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Dan Plesac, with 1.29 to Dave Righetti's 1.34.