Tom Glavine vs Ed Walsh: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Glavine and Ed Walsh are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Tom Glavine played 1987–2008 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
Tom Glavine (1987–2008) and Ed Walsh (1904–1917) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1900s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Tom Glavine finished with 305 wins and 2,607 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 Tom Glavine's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Tom Glavine, with 305 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Glavine, with 2,607 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Tom Glavine's 1.31.
- Who pitched more innings? Tom Glavine, with 4,413.1 to Ed Walsh's 2,964.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Ed Walsh, with 57 to Tom Glavine's 25.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Ed Walsh, with 62,631 career Pitcher PIV to Tom Glavine's 40,421.
Tom Glavine
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 1980s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Tom Glavine | Ed Walsh |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 305 | 195 |
| Losses not scored | 203 | 126 |
| Games | Leads: 682 | 430 |
| Games Started | Leads: 682 | 315 |
| Complete Games | 56 | Leads: 250 |
| Shutouts | 25 | Leads: 57 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 35 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,607 | 1,736 |
| Walks not scored | 1,500 | 617 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,298 | 2,346 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 356 | 23 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,413.1 | 2,964.1 |
| ERA | 3.54 | Leads: 1.82 |
| WHIP | 1.31 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.32 | 5.27 |
| BB/9 | 3.06 | Leads: 1.87 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ed Walsh outpaces Tom Glavine 62,631 to 40,421 — driven by per-season impact — 4,474 PIV per season to 1,837 — rather than by longevity, since Ed Walsh played 14 seasons to Tom Glavine's 22. 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).
Tom Glavine — 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, Tom Glavine 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 Tom Glavine. Note that PIV actually grades Ed Walsh ahead, which means Tom Glavine's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tom Glavine and Ed Walsh careers compare
Ed Walsh (1904–1917) was finished before Tom Glavine (1987–2008) arrived, so they never shared a league. Tom Glavine has the far longer record, 682 games against 430 across 22 and 14 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The per-nine rows read 5.32 strikeouts and 3.06 walks for Tom Glavine, 5.27 and 1.87 for Ed Walsh. Tom Glavine was mainly a starter (682 starts in 682 games), and Ed Walsh was mainly a starter (315 starts in 430 games). Complete games (56 to 250) show how differently the two eras used starters. In WHIP, Ed Walsh's 1.00 beats Tom Glavine's 1.31.
Tom Glavine vs Ed Walsh: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Tom Glavine's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Glavine, with 305 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Glavine, with 2,607 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Tom Glavine's 1.31.