Walter Johnson vs Herb Pennock: 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; Herb Pennock played 1912–1934 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 Herb Pennock (1912–1934) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 1910s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Walter Johnson finished with 417 wins and 3,509 strikeouts; Herb Pennock finished with 240 wins and 1,227 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 Herb Pennock's 3.60.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to Herb Pennock's 240.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Herb Pennock's 1,227.
- Who had the better WHIP? Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Herb Pennock's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Walter Johnson, with 5,914.2 to Herb Pennock's 3,571.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to Herb Pennock's 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Walter Johnson, with 124,021 career Pitcher PIV to Herb Pennock's 29,181.
Walter Johnson
Herb Pennock
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 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Walter Johnson | Herb Pennock |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 417 | 240 |
| Losses not scored | 279 | 162 |
| Games | Leads: 802 | 617 |
| Games Started | Leads: 666 | 420 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 531 | 247 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 110 | 35 |
| Saves | Leads: 34 | 32 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,509 | 1,227 |
| Walks not scored | 1,363 | 916 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,913 | 3,900 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 128 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,914.2 | 3,571.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.17 | 3.60 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.35 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.34 | 3.09 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.07 | 2.31 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces Herb Pennock 124,021 to 29,181 — driven by per-season impact — 5,906 PIV per season to 1,269 — rather than by longevity, since Walter Johnson played 21 seasons to Herb Pennock's 23. 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)
Herb Pennock — 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 Herb Pennock 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 Herb Pennock careers compare
From 1912 through 1927, Walter Johnson and Herb Pennock were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 802 games for Walter Johnson and 617 for Herb Pennock across 21 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. 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, 3.09 and 2.31 for Herb Pennock. Their roles differ: Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games); Herb Pennock split time between starting and relief (420 starts in 617 games). In WHIP, Walter Johnson's 1.06 beats Herb Pennock's 1.35.
Walter Johnson vs Herb Pennock: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Walter Johnson or Herb Pennock?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads Herb Pennock in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Herb Pennock's 3.60.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to Herb Pennock's 240.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Herb Pennock's 1,227.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Herb Pennock's 1.35.