Walter Johnson vs Greg Maddux: Career Stats Comparison
Walter Johnson has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Greg Maddux played 1986–2008 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 Greg Maddux (1986–2008) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Walter Johnson finished with 417 wins and 3,509 strikeouts; Greg Maddux finished with 355 wins and 3,371 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 Greg Maddux's 3.16.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to Greg Maddux's 355.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Greg Maddux's 3,371.
- Who had the better WHIP? Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Greg Maddux's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Walter Johnson, with 5,914.2 to Greg Maddux's 5,008.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to Greg Maddux's 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Greg Maddux, with 133,509 career Pitcher PIV to Walter Johnson's 124,021.
Walter Johnson
Greg Maddux
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 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Walter Johnson | Greg Maddux |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 417 | 355 |
| Losses not scored | 279 | 227 |
| Games | Leads: 802 | 744 |
| Games Started | 666 | Leads: 740 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 531 | 109 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 110 | 35 |
| Saves | Leads: 34 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,509 | 3,371 |
| Walks not scored | 1,363 | 999 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,913 | 4,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 353 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,914.2 | 5,008.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.17 | 3.16 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.34 | Leads: 6.06 |
| BB/9 | 2.07 | Leads: 1.80 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux edges Walter Johnson 133,509 to 124,021 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Greg Maddux played 25 seasons to Walter Johnson's 21, while Walter Johnson carries the higher per-season figure (5,906 to 5,340). 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)
Greg Maddux — 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 Greg Maddux owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Walter Johnson. Note that PIV actually grades Greg Maddux ahead, which means Walter Johnson's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Walter Johnson and Greg Maddux careers compare
Walter Johnson (1907–1927) was finished before Greg Maddux (1986–2008) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 802 games for Walter Johnson and 744 for Greg Maddux across 21 and 25 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Greg Maddux's edges on the table are starts (740 to 666), strikeouts per nine (6.06 to 5.34), and walks per nine (1.80 to 2.07). The per-nine rows read 5.34 strikeouts and 2.07 walks for Walter Johnson, 6.06 and 1.80 for Greg Maddux.
Walter Johnson vs Greg Maddux: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Walter Johnson or Greg Maddux?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads Greg Maddux in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Greg Maddux's 3.16.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to Greg Maddux's 355.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Greg Maddux's 3,371.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Greg Maddux's 1.14.