Walter Johnson vs Eddie Plank: Career Stats Comparison
Walter Johnson has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Walter Johnson played 1907–1927 as a pitcher; Eddie Plank played 1901–1917 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 Eddie Plank (1901–1917) — both debuted in the 1900s. Walter Johnson finished with 417 wins and 3,509 strikeouts; Eddie Plank finished with 326 wins and 2,246 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Walter Johnson, in 8 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Eddie Plank's 2.35.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to Eddie Plank's 326.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Eddie Plank's 2,246.
- Who had the better WHIP? Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Eddie Plank's 1.12.
- How many innings did each pitch? Walter Johnson 5,914.2, Eddie Plank 4,495.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to Eddie Plank's 69.
Walter Johnson
Eddie Plank
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Walter Johnson | Eddie Plank |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 417 | 326 |
| Losses not scored | 279 | 194 |
| Games not scored | 802 | 623 |
| Games Started not scored | 666 | 529 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 531 | 410 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 110 | 69 |
| Saves not scored | 34 | 23 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,509 | 2,246 |
| Walks not scored | 1,363 | 1,072 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,913 | 3,958 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 42 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 5,914.2 | 4,495.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.17 | 2.35 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.12 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.34 | 4.50 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.07 | 2.15 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces Eddie Plank 124,021 to 51,914 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,906 PIV per season to 3,054, across 21 seasons to 17. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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)
Eddie Plank — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Walter Johnson leads 8 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Eddie Plank leads 0: no scored category. 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 Eddie Plank careers compare
Walter Johnson and Eddie Plank were active at the same time between 1907 and 1917. The two careers are close in length, 802 games for Walter Johnson and 623 for Eddie Plank across 21 and 17 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, 4.50 and 2.15 for Eddie Plank. Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games), and Eddie Plank was mainly a starter (529 starts in 623 games). Walter Johnson allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.06 WHIP to Eddie Plank's 1.12.
Walter Johnson vs Eddie Plank: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Walter Johnson or Eddie Plank?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads Eddie Plank in 8 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Eddie Plank's 2.35.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to Eddie Plank's 326.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Eddie Plank's 2,246.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Eddie Plank's 1.12.