Mordecai Brown vs Walter Johnson: Career Stats Comparison
Walter Johnson has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Mordecai Brown played 1903–1916 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
Mordecai Brown (1903–1916) and Walter Johnson (1907–1927) — both debuted in the 1900s. Mordecai Brown finished with 239 wins and 1,375 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 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Mordecai Brown, with 2.06 to Walter Johnson's 2.17.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to Mordecai Brown's 239.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Mordecai Brown's 1,375.
- Who had the better WHIP? Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Mordecai Brown's 1.07.
- How many innings did each pitch? Mordecai Brown 3,172.1, Walter Johnson 5,914.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to Mordecai Brown's 55.
Mordecai Brown
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 | Mordecai Brown | Walter Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 239 | Leads: 417 |
| Losses not scored | 130 | 279 |
| Games not scored | 481 | 802 |
| Games Started not scored | 332 | 666 |
| Complete Games | 271 | Leads: 531 |
| Shutouts | 55 | Leads: 110 |
| Saves not scored | 49 | 34 |
| Strikeouts | 1,375 | Leads: 3,509 |
| Walks not scored | 673 | 1,363 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,708 | 4,913 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 43 | 97 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,172.1 | 5,914.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.06 | 2.17 |
| WHIP | 1.07 | Leads: 1.06 |
| K/9 | 3.90 | Leads: 5.34 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.91 | 2.07 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces Mordecai Brown 124,021 to 31,501 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,906 PIV per season to 2,250, across 21 seasons to 14. 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).
Mordecai Brown — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Walter Johnson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Walter Johnson leads 6 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Mordecai Brown leads 2: ERA and 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 Mordecai Brown and Walter Johnson careers compare
The careers of Mordecai Brown (1903–1916) and Walter Johnson (1907–1927) overlapped from 1907 to 1916, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Mordecai Brown appeared in 481 games to Walter Johnson's 802. The green cells for Mordecai Brown are ERA (2.06 to 2.17) and walks per nine (1.91 to 2.07). The per-nine rows read 3.90 strikeouts and 1.91 walks for Mordecai Brown, 5.34 and 2.07 for Walter Johnson. Mordecai Brown split time between starting and relief (332 starts in 481 games), while Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games).
Mordecai Brown vs Walter Johnson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Mordecai Brown or Walter Johnson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads Mordecai Brown in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Mordecai Brown, with 2.06 to Walter Johnson's 2.17.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to Mordecai Brown's 239.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Mordecai Brown's 1,375.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Mordecai Brown's 1.07.