Walter Johnson vs Max Scherzer: Career Stats Comparison
Walter Johnson has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Max Scherzer has played 2008–present 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 Max Scherzer (2008–present) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Walter Johnson finished with 417 wins and 3,509 strikeouts; Max Scherzer has 225 wins and 3,557 strikeouts through October 6, 2026. 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 Max Scherzer's 3.29.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to Max Scherzer's 225.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Max Scherzer, with 3,557 to Walter Johnson's 3,509.
- Who had the better WHIP? Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Max Scherzer's 1.09.
- Who pitched more innings? Walter Johnson, with 5,914.2 to Max Scherzer's 3,047.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to Max Scherzer's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Walter Johnson, with 124,021 career Pitcher PIV to Max Scherzer's 68,491.
Walter Johnson
Max Scherzer
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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Max Scherzer is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Walter Johnson | Max Scherzer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 417 | 225 |
| Losses not scored | 279 | 126 |
| Games | Leads: 802 | 501 |
| Games Started | Leads: 666 | 492 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 531 | 12 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 110 | 5 |
| Saves | Leads: 34 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 3,509 | Leads: 3,557 |
| Walks not scored | 1,363 | 814 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,913 | 2,511 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 369 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,914.2 | 3,047.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.17 | 3.29 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.09 |
| K/9 | 5.34 | Leads: 10.50 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.07 | 2.40 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces Max Scherzer 124,021 to 68,491 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,906 PIV per season to 3,425, across 21 seasons to 20. 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)
Max Scherzer — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Walter Johnson leads in wins, ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Max Scherzer owns strikeouts and K/9. 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 Max Scherzer careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Walter Johnson's ended in 1927, and Max Scherzer debuted in 2008. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Walter Johnson appeared in 802 games to Max Scherzer's 501. Where Max Scherzer comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts (3,557 to 3,509) and strikeouts per nine (10.50 to 5.34). By rate, Walter Johnson struck out 5.34 and walked 2.07 per nine innings; Max Scherzer struck out 10.50 and walked 2.40. Both had the same role: Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games); Max Scherzer was mainly a starter (492 starts in 501 games). Max Scherzer's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Walter Johnson vs Max Scherzer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Walter Johnson or Max Scherzer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads Max Scherzer in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Max Scherzer's 3.29.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to Max Scherzer's 225.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Max Scherzer, with 3,557 to Walter Johnson's 3,509.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Max Scherzer's 1.09.