Dan Plesac vs Kerry Wood: Career Stats Comparison
Kerry Wood 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; Kerry Wood played 1998–2012 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 Kerry Wood (1998–2012) — 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; Kerry Wood finished with 86 wins and 1,582 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Dan Plesac, with 3.64 to Kerry Wood's 3.67.
- Who won more games? Kerry Wood, with 86 to Dan Plesac's 65.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Kerry Wood, with 1,582 to Dan Plesac's 1,041.
- Who had the better WHIP? Kerry Wood, with 1.27 to Dan Plesac's 1.29.
- Who pitched more innings? Kerry Wood, with 1,380.0 to Dan Plesac's 1,072.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Kerry Wood, with 5 to Dan Plesac's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Kerry Wood, with 20,852 career Pitcher PIV to Dan Plesac's 20,030.
Dan Plesac
Kerry Wood
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 | Kerry Wood |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 65 | Leads: 86 |
| Losses not scored | 71 | 75 |
| Games | Leads: 1,064 | 446 |
| Games Started | 14 | Leads: 178 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 11 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 5 |
| Saves | Leads: 158 | 63 |
| Strikeouts | 1,041 | Leads: 1,582 |
| Walks not scored | 402 | 666 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 977 | 1,083 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 105 | 148 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,072.0 | Leads: 1,380.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.64 | 3.67 |
| WHIP | 1.29 | Leads: 1.27 |
| K/9 | 8.74 | Leads: 10.32 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.38 | 4.34 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Kerry Wood edges Dan Plesac 20,852 to 20,030 — driven by per-season impact — 1,390 PIV per season to 1,002 — rather than by longevity, since Kerry Wood played 15 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.
Kerry Wood — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Kerry Wood leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Dan Plesac owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Kerry Wood. PIV agrees: Kerry Wood 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 Kerry Wood careers compare
Dan Plesac and Kerry Wood were active at the same time between 1998 and 2003. Dan Plesac has the far longer record, 1,064 games against 446 across 20 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Dan Plesac are games (1,064 to 446), saves (158 to 63), and ERA (3.64 to 3.67). The per-nine rows read 8.74 strikeouts and 3.38 walks for Dan Plesac, 10.32 and 4.34 for Kerry Wood. Dan Plesac worked mostly in relief (14 starts in 1,064 games, 158 saves), while Kerry Wood split time between starting and relief (178 starts in 446 games). Kerry Wood allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.27 WHIP to Dan Plesac's 1.29.
Dan Plesac vs Kerry Wood: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dan Plesac or Kerry Wood?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Kerry Wood leads Dan Plesac in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Dan Plesac, with 3.64 to Kerry Wood's 3.67.
- Who won more games?
- Kerry Wood, with 86 to Dan Plesac's 65.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Kerry Wood, with 1,582 to Dan Plesac's 1,041.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Kerry Wood, with 1.27 to Dan Plesac's 1.29.