Walter Johnson vs George Kirby: Career Stats Comparison
Walter Johnson has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Walter Johnson played 1907–1927 as a pitcher; George Kirby has played 2022–present 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
Walter Johnson (1907–1927) and George Kirby (2022–present) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Walter Johnson finished with 417 wins and 3,509 strikeouts; George Kirby has 54 wins and 769 strikeouts through October 6, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to George Kirby's 3.74.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to George Kirby's 54.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to George Kirby's 769.
- Who had the better WHIP? Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to George Kirby's 1.17.
- Who pitched more innings? Walter Johnson, with 5,914.2 to George Kirby's 812.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to George Kirby's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Walter Johnson, with 124,021 career Pitcher PIV to George Kirby's 14,778.
Walter Johnson
George Kirby
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 1900s and the 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
George Kirby is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Walter Johnson | George Kirby |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 417 | 54 |
| Losses not scored | 279 | 45 |
| Games | Leads: 802 | 142 |
| Games Started | Leads: 666 | 142 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 531 | 2 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 110 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 34 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,509 | 769 |
| Walks not scored | 1,363 | 140 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,913 | 813 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 94 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,914.2 | 812.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.17 | 3.74 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.17 |
| K/9 | 5.34 | Leads: 8.52 |
| BB/9 | 2.07 | Leads: 1.55 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces George Kirby 124,021 to 14,778 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,906 PIV per season to 3,695, across 21 seasons to 4. 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).
Walter Johnson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
George Kirby — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Walter Johnson leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while George Kirby owns 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.
Related Matchups
How the Walter Johnson and George Kirby careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Walter Johnson's ended in 1927, and George Kirby debuted in 2022. Walter Johnson has the far longer record, 802 games against 142 across 21 and 4 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where George Kirby comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (8.52 to 5.34) and walks per nine (1.55 to 2.07). The per-nine rows read 5.34 strikeouts and 2.07 walks for Walter Johnson, 8.52 and 1.55 for George Kirby. Both had the same role: Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games); George Kirby was mainly a starter (142 starts in 142 games). George Kirby's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Walter Johnson vs George Kirby: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Walter Johnson or George Kirby?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads George Kirby in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to George Kirby's 3.74.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to George Kirby's 54.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to George Kirby's 769.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to George Kirby's 1.17.