Charles Bender vs Walter Johnson: Career Stats Comparison
Walter Johnson has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Charles Bender played 1903–1925 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
Charles Bender (1903–1925) and Walter Johnson (1907–1927) — both debuted in the 1900s. Charles Bender finished with 212 wins and 1,711 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 8 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Charles Bender's 2.46.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to Charles Bender's 212.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Charles Bender's 1,711.
- Who had the better WHIP? Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Charles Bender's 1.11.
- How many innings did each pitch? Charles Bender 3,017.0, Walter Johnson 5,914.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to Charles Bender's 40.
Charles Bender
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 | Charles Bender | Walter Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 212 | Leads: 417 |
| Losses not scored | 127 | 279 |
| Games not scored | 459 | 802 |
| Games Started not scored | 334 | 666 |
| Complete Games | 255 | Leads: 531 |
| Shutouts | 40 | Leads: 110 |
| Saves not scored | 34 | 34 |
| Strikeouts | 1,711 | Leads: 3,509 |
| Walks not scored | 712 | 1,363 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,645 | 4,913 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 40 | 97 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,017.0 | 5,914.2 |
| ERA | 2.46 | Leads: 2.17 |
| WHIP | 1.11 | Leads: 1.06 |
| K/9 | 5.10 | Leads: 5.34 |
| BB/9 | 2.12 | Leads: 2.07 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces Charles Bender 124,021 to 43,118 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,906 PIV per season to 2,695, across 21 seasons to 16. 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).
Charles Bender — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Walter Johnson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Walter Johnson leads 8 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Charles Bender leads 0: no scored category. 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 Charles Bender and Walter Johnson careers compare
The careers of Charles Bender (1903–1925) and Walter Johnson (1907–1927) overlapped from 1907 to 1925, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Charles Bender appeared in 459 games to Walter Johnson's 802. Every scored category on the table goes to Walter Johnson. By rate, Charles Bender struck out 5.10 and walked 2.12 per nine innings; Walter Johnson struck out 5.34 and walked 2.07. Charles Bender was mainly a starter (334 starts in 459 games), and Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games). In WHIP, Walter Johnson's 1.06 beats Charles Bender's 1.11.
Charles Bender vs Walter Johnson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Charles Bender or Walter Johnson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads Charles Bender in 8 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Charles Bender's 2.46.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to Charles Bender's 212.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Charles Bender's 1,711.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Charles Bender's 1.11.