Bob Gibson vs Ed Walsh: Career Stats Comparison
Bob Gibson has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Bob Gibson played 1959–1975 as a pitcher; Ed Walsh played 1904–1917 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
Bob Gibson (1959–1975) and Ed Walsh (1904–1917) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1900s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bob Gibson finished with 251 wins and 3,117 strikeouts; Ed Walsh finished with 195 wins and 1,736 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Bob Gibson's 2.91.
- Who won more games? Bob Gibson, with 251 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Bob Gibson's 1.19.
- Who pitched more innings? Bob Gibson, with 3,884.1 to Ed Walsh's 2,964.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Ed Walsh, with 57 to Bob Gibson's 56.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bob Gibson, with 69,720 career Pitcher PIV to Ed Walsh's 62,631.
Bob Gibson
Ed Walsh
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. 12 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 4 are counting totals on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded them. Totals where fewer is not an achievement -- losses, walks and hits allowed -- are left unmarked, because they track how long someone pitched rather than how well. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1950s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bob Gibson | Ed Walsh |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 251 | 195 |
| Losses not scored | 174 | 126 |
| Games | Leads: 528 | 430 |
| Games Started | Leads: 482 | 315 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 255 | 250 |
| Shutouts | 56 | Leads: 57 |
| Saves | 6 | Leads: 35 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,117 | 1,736 |
| Walks not scored | 1,336 | 617 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,279 | 2,346 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 257 | 23 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,884.1 | 2,964.1 |
| ERA | 2.91 | Leads: 1.82 |
| WHIP | 1.19 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.22 | 5.27 |
| BB/9 | 3.10 | Leads: 1.87 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Gibson leads Ed Walsh 69,720 to 62,631 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Bob Gibson played 17 seasons to Ed Walsh's 14, while Ed Walsh carries the higher per-season figure (4,474 to 4,101). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Bob Gibson — 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, Bob Gibson leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Ed Walsh owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bob Gibson. PIV agrees: Bob Gibson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bob Gibson and Ed Walsh careers compare
Ed Walsh (1904–1917) was finished before Bob Gibson (1959–1975) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 528 games against 430 across 17 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The per-nine rows read 7.22 strikeouts and 3.10 walks for Bob Gibson, 5.27 and 1.87 for Ed Walsh. Both had the same role: Bob Gibson was mainly a starter (482 starts in 528 games); Ed Walsh was mainly a starter (315 starts in 430 games). Ed Walsh allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.00 WHIP to Bob Gibson's 1.19. Bob Gibson owns the better peak by ERA: 1.12 ERA in 1968 for Bob Gibson against 1.27 ERA in 1910 for Ed Walsh.
Bob Gibson vs Ed Walsh: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bob Gibson or Ed Walsh?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bob Gibson leads Ed Walsh in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Bob Gibson's 2.91.
- Who won more games?
- Bob Gibson, with 251 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Bob Gibson's 1.19.