Walter Johnson vs Paul Skenes: 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; Paul Skenes has played 2024–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 Paul Skenes (2024–present) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Walter Johnson finished with 417 wins and 3,509 strikeouts; Paul Skenes has 31 wins and 586 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 Paul Skenes's 2.62.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP? Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Walter Johnson's 1.06.
- Who pitched more innings? Walter Johnson, with 5,914.2 to Paul Skenes's 495.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to Paul Skenes's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Walter Johnson, with 124,021 career Pitcher PIV to Paul Skenes's 14,331.
Walter Johnson
Paul Skenes
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 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Paul Skenes is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Walter Johnson | Paul Skenes |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 417 | 31 |
| Losses not scored | 279 | 24 |
| Games | Leads: 802 | 87 |
| Games Started | Leads: 666 | 87 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 531 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 110 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 34 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,509 | 586 |
| Walks not scored | 1,363 | 123 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,913 | 376 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 41 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,914.2 | 495.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.17 | 2.62 |
| WHIP | 1.06 | Leads: 1.01 |
| K/9 | 5.34 | Leads: 10.65 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.07 | 2.24 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces Paul Skenes 124,021 to 14,331 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Walter Johnson played 21 seasons to Paul Skenes's 2, while Paul Skenes carries the higher per-season figure (7,166 to 5,906). 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)
Paul Skenes — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Walter Johnson leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Paul Skenes owns WHIP 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 Paul Skenes careers compare
No season is shared: Walter Johnson played 1907–1927, Paul Skenes 2024–present. The table compares 802 games of Walter Johnson with 87 of Paul Skenes across 21 and 2 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Paul Skenes's edges on the table are WHIP (1.01 to 1.06) and strikeouts per nine (10.65 to 5.34). The per-nine rows read 5.34 strikeouts and 2.07 walks for Walter Johnson, 10.65 and 2.24 for Paul Skenes. Both had the same role: Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games); Paul Skenes was mainly a starter (87 starts in 87 games). The complete-game row, 531 against 1, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. Because Paul Skenes is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Walter Johnson vs Paul Skenes: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Walter Johnson or Paul Skenes?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads Paul Skenes in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Paul Skenes's 2.62.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Walter Johnson's 1.06.