Walter Johnson vs Bob Lemon: Career Stats Comparison
Walter Johnson has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Bob Lemon played 1941–1958 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 Bob Lemon (1941–1958) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 1940s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Walter Johnson finished with 417 wins and 3,509 strikeouts; Bob Lemon finished with 207 wins and 1,277 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 Bob Lemon's 3.23.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to Bob Lemon's 207.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Bob Lemon's 1,277.
- Who had the better WHIP? Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Bob Lemon's 1.34.
- Who pitched more innings? Walter Johnson, with 5,914.2 to Bob Lemon's 2,850.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to Bob Lemon's 31.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Walter Johnson, with 124,021 career Pitcher PIV to Bob Lemon's 14,410.
Walter Johnson
Bob Lemon
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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Walter Johnson | Bob Lemon |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 417 | 207 |
| Losses not scored | 279 | 128 |
| Games | Leads: 802 | 460 |
| Games Started | Leads: 666 | 350 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 531 | 188 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 110 | 31 |
| Saves | Leads: 34 | 22 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,509 | 1,277 |
| Walks not scored | 1,363 | 1,251 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,913 | 2,559 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 181 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,914.2 | 2,850.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.17 | 3.23 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.34 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.34 | 4.03 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.07 | 3.95 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces Bob Lemon 124,021 to 14,410 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,906 PIV per season to 1,108, 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)
Bob Lemon — 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 Bob Lemon owns no headline categories. 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 Bob Lemon careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Walter Johnson's ended in 1927, and Bob Lemon debuted in 1941. Walter Johnson has the far longer record, 802 games against 460 across 21 and 13 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Walter Johnson leads every scored row of the table. The per-nine rows read 5.34 strikeouts and 2.07 walks for Walter Johnson, 4.03 and 3.95 for Bob Lemon. Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games), and Bob Lemon was mainly a starter (350 starts in 460 games). In WHIP, Walter Johnson's 1.06 beats Bob Lemon's 1.34.
Walter Johnson vs Bob Lemon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Walter Johnson or Bob Lemon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads Bob Lemon in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Bob Lemon's 3.23.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to Bob Lemon's 207.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Bob Lemon's 1,277.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Bob Lemon's 1.34.