Dan Plesac vs Scott Williamson: Career Stats Comparison
Dan Plesac 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; Scott Williamson played 1999–2007 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 Scott Williamson (1999–2007) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Dan Plesac finished with 65 wins and 1,041 strikeouts; Scott Williamson finished with 28 wins and 510 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Scott Williamson, with 3.36 to Dan Plesac's 3.64.
- Who won more games? Dan Plesac, with 65 to Scott Williamson's 28.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Dan Plesac, with 1,041 to Scott Williamson's 510.
- Who had the better WHIP? Dan Plesac, with 1.29 to Scott Williamson's 1.30.
- Who pitched more innings? Dan Plesac, with 1,072.0 to Scott Williamson's 439.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Dan Plesac, with 20,030 career Pitcher PIV to Scott Williamson's 11,282.
Dan Plesac
Scott Williamson
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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dan Plesac | Scott Williamson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 65 | 28 |
| Losses not scored | 71 | 28 |
| Games | Leads: 1,064 | 344 |
| Games Started | Leads: 14 | 10 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 158 | 55 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,041 | 510 |
| Walks not scored | 402 | 244 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 977 | 326 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 105 | 35 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,072.0 | 439.1 |
| ERA | 3.64 | Leads: 3.36 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.29 | 1.30 |
| K/9 | 8.74 | Leads: 10.45 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.38 | 5.00 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dan Plesac outpaces Scott Williamson 20,030 to 11,282 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Dan Plesac played 20 seasons to Scott Williamson's 11, while Scott Williamson carries the higher per-season figure (1,026 to 1,002). 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.
Scott Williamson
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dan Plesac leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Scott Williamson owns ERA and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dan Plesac. PIV agrees: Dan Plesac 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 Scott Williamson careers compare
From 1999 through 2003, Dan Plesac and Scott Williamson were in the majors together. Dan Plesac has the far longer record, 1,064 games against 344 across 20 and 11 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Scott Williamson's edges on the table are ERA (3.36 to 3.64) and strikeouts per nine (10.45 to 8.74). The per-nine rows read 8.74 strikeouts and 3.38 walks for Dan Plesac, 10.45 and 5.00 for Scott Williamson. Dan Plesac worked mostly in relief (14 starts in 1,064 games, 158 saves), and Scott Williamson worked mostly in relief (10 starts in 344 games, 55 saves). In WHIP, Dan Plesac's 1.29 beats Scott Williamson's 1.30.
Dan Plesac vs Scott Williamson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dan Plesac or Scott Williamson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dan Plesac leads Scott Williamson in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Scott Williamson, with 3.36 to Dan Plesac's 3.64.
- Who won more games?
- Dan Plesac, with 65 to Scott Williamson's 28.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Dan Plesac, with 1,041 to Scott Williamson's 510.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Dan Plesac, with 1.29 to Scott Williamson's 1.30.