Mordecai Brown vs Ed Walsh: Career Stats Comparison
Mordecai Brown (1903–1916) and Ed Walsh (1904–1917) — both came up during the 1900s, so the matchup is a direct one. Mordecai Brown compiled 239 wins and 1,375 strikeouts; Ed Walsh put up 195 wins and 1,736 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Mordecai Brown
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Mordecai Brown | Ed Walsh |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 239 | 195 |
| Losses | 130 | 126 |
| Games | 481 | 430 |
| Games Started | 332 | 315 |
| Complete Games | 271 | 250 |
| Shutouts | 55 | 57 |
| Saves | 49 | 35 |
| Strikeouts | 1,375 | 1,736 |
| Walks | 673 | 617 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,708 | 2,346 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 43 | 23 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,172 | 2,964 |
| ERA | 2.06 | 1.82 |
| WHIP | 1.07 | 1.00 |
| K/9 | 3.90 | 5.27 |
| BB/9 | 1.91 | 1.87 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ed Walsh outpaces Mordecai Brown 62,631 to 31,501 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,474 vs 2,100 per year). 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)
Ed Walsh — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ed Walsh leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Mordecai Brown owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ed Walsh. PIV agrees: Ed Walsh grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.