Babe Adams vs Walter Johnson: Career Stats Comparison
Walter Johnson has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Babe Adams played 1906–1926 as a pitcher; Walter Johnson played 1907–1927 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
Babe Adams (1906–1926) and Walter Johnson (1907–1927) — both debuted in the 1900s. Babe Adams finished with 194 wins and 1,036 strikeouts; Walter Johnson finished with 417 wins and 3,509 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Walter Johnson, in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Babe Adams's 2.76.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to Babe Adams's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Babe Adams's 1,036.
- Who had the better WHIP? Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Babe Adams's 1.09.
- How many innings did each pitch? Babe Adams 2,995.1, Walter Johnson 5,914.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to Babe Adams's 44.
Babe Adams
Walter Johnson
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Babe Adams | Walter Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 194 | Leads: 417 |
| Losses not scored | 140 | 279 |
| Games not scored | 482 | 802 |
| Games Started not scored | 355 | 666 |
| Complete Games | 206 | Leads: 531 |
| Shutouts | 44 | Leads: 110 |
| Saves not scored | 15 | 34 |
| Strikeouts | 1,036 | Leads: 3,509 |
| Walks not scored | 430 | 1,363 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,841 | 4,913 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 68 | 97 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,995.1 | 5,914.2 |
| ERA | 2.76 | Leads: 2.17 |
| WHIP | 1.09 | Leads: 1.06 |
| K/9 | 3.11 | Leads: 5.34 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.29 | 2.07 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces Babe Adams 124,021 to 41,399 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,906 PIV per season to 2,179, across 21 seasons to 19. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Babe Adams — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Walter Johnson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Walter Johnson leads 7 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Babe Adams leads 1: walks per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Walter Johnson. PIV agrees: Walter Johnson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Babe Adams and Walter Johnson careers compare
The careers of Babe Adams (1906–1926) and Walter Johnson (1907–1927) overlapped from 1907 to 1926, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 482 games of Babe Adams with 802 of Walter Johnson across 19 and 21 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Babe Adams comes out ahead, it is in walks per nine (1.29 to 2.07). By rate, Babe Adams struck out 3.11 and walked 1.29 per nine innings; Walter Johnson struck out 5.34 and walked 2.07. Both had the same role: Babe Adams was mainly a starter (355 starts in 482 games); Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games).
Babe Adams vs Walter Johnson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Babe Adams or Walter Johnson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads Babe Adams in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Babe Adams's 2.76.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to Babe Adams's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Babe Adams's 1,036.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Babe Adams's 1.09.