Walter Johnson vs Don Newcombe: 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; Don Newcombe played 1949–1960 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 Don Newcombe (1949–1960) — 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; Don Newcombe finished with 153 wins and 1,185 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 Don Newcombe's 3.57.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to Don Newcombe's 153.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Don Newcombe's 1,185.
- Who had the better WHIP? Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Don Newcombe's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? Walter Johnson, with 5,914.2 to Don Newcombe's 2,247.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to Don Newcombe's 24.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Walter Johnson, with 124,021 career Pitcher PIV to Don Newcombe's 20,184.
Walter Johnson
Don Newcombe
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 | Don Newcombe |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 417 | 153 |
| Losses not scored | 279 | 96 |
| Games | Leads: 802 | 359 |
| Games Started | Leads: 666 | 305 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 531 | 145 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 110 | 24 |
| Saves | Leads: 34 | 7 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,509 | 1,185 |
| Walks not scored | 1,363 | 528 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,913 | 2,185 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 255 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,914.2 | 2,247.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.17 | 3.57 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.21 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.34 | 4.75 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.07 | 2.11 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces Don Newcombe 124,021 to 20,184 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,906 PIV per season to 1,442, across 21 seasons to 14. 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)
Don Newcombe — 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 Don Newcombe 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 Don Newcombe careers compare
Walter Johnson (1907–1927) was finished before Don Newcombe (1949–1960) arrived, so they never shared a league. Walter Johnson has the far longer record, 802 games against 359 across 21 and 14 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Every scored category on the table goes to Walter Johnson. The per-nine rows read 5.34 strikeouts and 2.07 walks for Walter Johnson, 4.75 and 2.11 for Don Newcombe. Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games), and Don Newcombe was mainly a starter (305 starts in 359 games). The complete-game row, 531 against 145, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. In WHIP, Walter Johnson's 1.06 beats Don Newcombe's 1.21.
Walter Johnson vs Don Newcombe: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Walter Johnson or Don Newcombe?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads Don Newcombe in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Don Newcombe's 3.57.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to Don Newcombe's 153.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Don Newcombe's 1,185.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Don Newcombe's 1.21.