Paul Skenes vs Rube Waddell: Career Stats Comparison
Rube Waddell has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Paul Skenes has played 2024–present as a pitcher; Rube Waddell played 1897–1910 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
Paul Skenes (2024–present) and Rube Waddell (1897–1910) — breaking in during the 2020s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Paul Skenes has 31 wins and 586 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Rube Waddell finished with 193 wins and 2,316 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Rube Waddell, with 2.16 to Paul Skenes's 2.62.
- Who won more games? Rube Waddell, with 193 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rube Waddell, with 2,316 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP? Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Rube Waddell's 1.10.
- Who pitched more innings? Rube Waddell, with 2,961.1 to Paul Skenes's 495.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Rube Waddell, with 50 to Paul Skenes's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Rube Waddell, with 69,450 career Pitcher PIV to Paul Skenes's 14,331.
Paul Skenes
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. 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 2020s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Paul Skenes is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Paul Skenes | Rube Waddell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 31 | Leads: 193 |
| Losses not scored | 24 | 143 |
| Games | 87 | Leads: 407 |
| Games Started | 87 | Leads: 340 |
| Complete Games | 1 | Leads: 261 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 50 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 5 |
| Strikeouts | 586 | Leads: 2,316 |
| Walks not scored | 123 | 803 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 376 | 2,460 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 41 | 37 |
| Innings Pitched | 495.0 | Leads: 2,961.1 |
| ERA | 2.62 | Leads: 2.16 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.01 | 1.10 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.65 | 7.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.24 | 2.44 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rube Waddell outpaces Paul Skenes 69,450 to 14,331 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Rube Waddell played 14 seasons to Paul Skenes's 2, while Paul Skenes carries the higher per-season figure (7,166 to 4,961). 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).
Paul Skenes — 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 innings pitched, while Paul Skenes owns WHIP and K/9. 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.
Related Matchups
How the Paul Skenes and Rube Waddell careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Rube Waddell's ended in 1910, and Paul Skenes debuted in 2024. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Paul Skenes has appeared in 87 games to Rube Waddell's 407. Paul Skenes's edges on the table are WHIP (1.01 to 1.10), strikeouts per nine (10.65 to 7.04), and walks per nine (2.24 to 2.44). By rate, Paul Skenes struck out 10.65 and walked 2.24 per nine innings; Rube Waddell struck out 7.04 and walked 2.44. Paul Skenes was mainly a starter (87 starts in 87 games), and Rube Waddell was mainly a starter (340 starts in 407 games). Because Paul Skenes is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Paul Skenes vs Rube Waddell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Paul Skenes or Rube Waddell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rube Waddell leads Paul Skenes in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rube Waddell, with 2.16 to Paul Skenes's 2.62.
- Who won more games?
- Rube Waddell, with 193 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rube Waddell, with 2,316 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Rube Waddell's 1.10.