Jacob deGrom vs Walter Johnson: Career Stats Comparison

Jacob deGrom (2014–present) and Walter Johnson (1907–1927) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1900s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jacob deGrom compiled 96 wins and 1,851 strikeouts; Walter Johnson put up 417 wins and 3,509 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Jacob deGrom

Pitcher · 2014–present
Wins
96
Losses
65
Strikeouts
1,851
ERA
2.57
WHIP
0.99
IP
1,539
View Jacob deGrom's full profile →

Walter Johnson

Pitcher · 1907–1927
Wins
417
Losses
279
Strikeouts
3,509
ERA
2.17
WHIP
1.06
IP
5,914
View Walter Johnson's full profile →

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 Jacob deGrom Walter Johnson
Wins 96 417
Losses 65 279
Games 248 802
Games Started 248 666
Complete Games 4 531
Shutouts 2 110
Saves 0 34
Strikeouts 1,851 3,509
Walks 345 1,363
Hits Allowed 1,173 4,913
Home Runs Allowed 146 97
Innings Pitched 1,539 5,914
ERA 2.57 2.17
WHIP 0.99 1.06
K/9 10.82 5.34
BB/9 2.02 2.07

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces Jacob deGrom 124,021 to 58,656 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (5,906 vs 4,888 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Jacob deGrom
58,656
Career Pitcher PIV · 4,888 per season (12 seasons)
Walter Johnson
124,021
Career Pitcher PIV · 5,906 per season (21 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).

Jacob deGrom — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20181.70 ERA10-9, 269 K in 217 IP
20192.43 ERA11-8, 255 K in 204 IP
20152.54 ERA14-8, 205 K in 191 IP

Walter Johnson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19131.14 ERA36-7, 243 K in 346 IP
19181.27 ERA23-13, 162 K in 326 IP
19101.36 ERA25-17, 313 K in 370 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Walter Johnson leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Jacob deGrom owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but 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.

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