Burleigh Grimes vs Ed Walsh: Career Stats Comparison
Ed Walsh 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). Burleigh Grimes played 1916–1934 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
Burleigh Grimes (1916–1934) and Ed Walsh (1904–1917) — breaking in during the 1910s and the 1900s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Burleigh Grimes finished with 270 wins and 1,512 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 Burleigh Grimes's 3.53.
- Who won more games? Burleigh Grimes, with 270 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Ed Walsh, with 1,736 to Burleigh Grimes's 1,512.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Burleigh Grimes's 1.37.
- Who pitched more innings? Burleigh Grimes, with 4,180.0 to Ed Walsh's 2,964.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Ed Walsh, with 57 to Burleigh Grimes's 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Ed Walsh, with 62,631 career Pitcher PIV to Burleigh Grimes's 18,821.
Burleigh Grimes
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 1910s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Burleigh Grimes | Ed Walsh |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 270 | 195 |
| Losses not scored | 212 | 126 |
| Games | Leads: 616 | 430 |
| Games Started | Leads: 497 | 315 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 314 | 250 |
| Shutouts | 35 | Leads: 57 |
| Saves | 18 | Leads: 35 |
| Strikeouts | 1,512 | Leads: 1,736 |
| Walks not scored | 1,295 | 617 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,412 | 2,346 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 148 | 23 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,180.0 | 2,964.1 |
| ERA | 3.53 | Leads: 1.82 |
| WHIP | 1.37 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | 3.26 | Leads: 5.27 |
| BB/9 | 2.79 | Leads: 1.87 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ed Walsh outpaces Burleigh Grimes 62,631 to 18,821 — driven by per-season impact — 4,474 PIV per season to 818 — rather than by longevity, since Ed Walsh played 14 seasons to Burleigh Grimes's 23. 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).
Burleigh Grimes — 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 Burleigh Grimes 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.
Related Matchups
How the Burleigh Grimes and Ed Walsh careers compare
The careers of Burleigh Grimes (1916–1934) and Ed Walsh (1904–1917) overlapped from 1916 to 1917, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 616 games against 430 across 23 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The per-nine rows read 3.26 strikeouts and 2.79 walks for Burleigh Grimes, 5.27 and 1.87 for Ed Walsh. Both had the same role: Burleigh Grimes was mainly a starter (497 starts in 616 games); Ed Walsh was mainly a starter (315 starts in 430 games). Ed Walsh allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.00 WHIP to Burleigh Grimes's 1.37.
Burleigh Grimes vs Ed Walsh: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Burleigh Grimes or Ed Walsh?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ed Walsh leads Burleigh Grimes in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Burleigh Grimes's 3.53.
- Who won more games?
- Burleigh Grimes, with 270 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Ed Walsh, with 1,736 to Burleigh Grimes's 1,512.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Burleigh Grimes's 1.37.