Walter Johnson vs Corey Kluber: 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; Corey Kluber played 2011–2023 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 Corey Kluber (2011–2023) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Walter Johnson finished with 417 wins and 3,509 strikeouts; Corey Kluber finished with 116 wins and 1,725 strikeouts. 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 Corey Kluber's 3.44.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to Corey Kluber's 116.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Corey Kluber's 1,725.
- Who had the better WHIP? Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Corey Kluber's 1.13.
- Who pitched more innings? Walter Johnson, with 5,914.2 to Corey Kluber's 1,641.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to Corey Kluber's 8.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Walter Johnson, with 124,021 career Pitcher PIV to Corey Kluber's 36,049.
Walter Johnson
Corey Kluber
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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Walter Johnson | Corey Kluber |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 417 | 116 |
| Losses not scored | 279 | 77 |
| Games | Leads: 802 | 271 |
| Games Started | Leads: 666 | 260 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 531 | 18 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 110 | 8 |
| Saves | Leads: 34 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,509 | 1,725 |
| Walks not scored | 1,363 | 368 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,913 | 1,486 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 177 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,914.2 | 1,641.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.17 | 3.44 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | 5.34 | Leads: 9.46 |
| BB/9 | 2.07 | Leads: 2.02 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces Corey Kluber 124,021 to 36,049 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,906 PIV per season to 2,773, across 21 seasons to 13. 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)
Corey Kluber — 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 Corey Kluber 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 Corey Kluber careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Walter Johnson's ended in 1927, and Corey Kluber debuted in 2011. Walter Johnson has the far longer record, 802 games against 271 across 21 and 13 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Corey Kluber comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (9.46 to 5.34) and walks per nine (2.02 to 2.07). The per-nine rows read 5.34 strikeouts and 2.07 walks for Walter Johnson, 9.46 and 2.02 for Corey Kluber. Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games), and Corey Kluber was mainly a starter (260 starts in 271 games). Complete games (531 to 18) show how differently the two eras used starters.
Walter Johnson vs Corey Kluber: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Walter Johnson or Corey Kluber?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads Corey Kluber in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Corey Kluber's 3.44.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to Corey Kluber's 116.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Corey Kluber's 1,725.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Corey Kluber's 1.13.