Walter Johnson vs Eppa Rixey: 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; Eppa Rixey played 1912–1933 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 Eppa Rixey (1912–1933) — they debuted in the 1900s and the 1910s respectively and share 16 seasons. Walter Johnson finished with 417 wins and 3,509 strikeouts; Eppa Rixey finished with 266 wins and 1,350 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 Eppa Rixey's 3.15.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to Eppa Rixey's 266.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Eppa Rixey's 1,350.
- Who had the better WHIP? Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Eppa Rixey's 1.27.
- How many innings did each pitch? Walter Johnson 5,914.2, Eppa Rixey 4,494.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to Eppa Rixey's 37.
Walter Johnson
Eppa Rixey
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 | Eppa Rixey |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 417 | 266 |
| Losses not scored | 279 | 251 |
| Games not scored | 802 | 692 |
| Games Started not scored | 666 | 552 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 531 | 290 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 110 | 37 |
| Saves not scored | 34 | 14 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,509 | 1,350 |
| Walks not scored | 1,363 | 1,082 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,913 | 4,633 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 92 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 5,914.2 | 4,494.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.17 | 3.15 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.34 | 2.70 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.07 | 2.17 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces Eppa Rixey 124,021 to 45,675 — driven by per-season impact — 5,906 PIV per season to 2,175 — rather than by longevity, since Walter Johnson played 21 seasons to Eppa Rixey's 21. 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)
Eppa Rixey — 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. Eppa Rixey 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 Eppa Rixey careers compare
Walter Johnson and Eppa Rixey were active at the same time between 1912 and 1927. The two careers are close in length, 802 games for Walter Johnson and 692 for Eppa Rixey across 21 and 21 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, 2.70 and 2.17 for Eppa Rixey. Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games), and Eppa Rixey was mainly a starter (552 starts in 692 games). In WHIP, Walter Johnson's 1.06 beats Eppa Rixey's 1.27.
Walter Johnson vs Eppa Rixey: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Walter Johnson or Eppa Rixey?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads Eppa Rixey in 8 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Eppa Rixey's 3.15.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to Eppa Rixey's 266.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Eppa Rixey's 1,350.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Eppa Rixey's 1.27.