Stan Coveleski 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). Stan Coveleski played 1912–1928 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
Stan Coveleski (1912–1928) and Walter Johnson (1907–1927) — they debuted in the 1910s and the 1900s respectively and share 16 seasons. Stan Coveleski finished with 215 wins and 981 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 Stan Coveleski's 2.89.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to Stan Coveleski's 215.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Stan Coveleski's 981.
- Who had the better WHIP? Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Stan Coveleski's 1.25.
- How many innings did each pitch? Stan Coveleski 3,082.0, Walter Johnson 5,914.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to Stan Coveleski's 38.
Stan Coveleski
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 | Stan Coveleski | Walter Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 215 | Leads: 417 |
| Losses not scored | 142 | 279 |
| Games not scored | 450 | 802 |
| Games Started not scored | 385 | 666 |
| Complete Games | 224 | Leads: 531 |
| Shutouts | 38 | Leads: 110 |
| Saves not scored | 21 | 34 |
| Strikeouts | 981 | Leads: 3,509 |
| Walks not scored | 802 | 1,363 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,055 | 4,913 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 66 | 97 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,082.0 | 5,914.2 |
| ERA | 2.89 | Leads: 2.17 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | Leads: 1.06 |
| K/9 | 2.86 | Leads: 5.34 |
| BB/9 | 2.34 | Leads: 2.07 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces Stan Coveleski 124,021 to 24,570 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,906 PIV per season to 1,755, 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).
Stan Coveleski — 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. Stan Coveleski 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 Stan Coveleski and Walter Johnson careers compare
The careers of Stan Coveleski (1912–1928) and Walter Johnson (1907–1927) overlapped from 1912 to 1927, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 450 games of Stan Coveleski with 802 of Walter Johnson across 14 and 21 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Walter Johnson leads every scored row of the table. The per-nine rows read 2.86 strikeouts and 2.34 walks for Stan Coveleski, 5.34 and 2.07 for Walter Johnson. Both had the same role: Stan Coveleski was mainly a starter (385 starts in 450 games); Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games). In WHIP, Walter Johnson's 1.06 beats Stan Coveleski's 1.25.
Stan Coveleski vs Walter Johnson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Stan Coveleski or Walter Johnson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads Stan Coveleski in 8 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Stan Coveleski's 2.89.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to Stan Coveleski's 215.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Stan Coveleski's 981.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Stan Coveleski's 1.25.