Walter Johnson vs Blake Snell: Career Stats Comparison
Walter Johnson has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Blake Snell has played 2016–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 Blake Snell (2016–present) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Walter Johnson finished with 417 wins and 3,509 strikeouts; Blake Snell has 85 wins and 1,495 strikeouts through October 12, 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 Blake Snell's 3.10.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to Blake Snell's 85.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Blake Snell's 1,495.
- Who had the better WHIP? Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Blake Snell's 1.22.
- Who pitched more innings? Walter Johnson, with 5,914.2 to Blake Snell's 1,200.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to Blake Snell's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Walter Johnson, with 124,021 career Pitcher PIV to Blake Snell's 27,494.
Walter Johnson
Blake Snell
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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Blake Snell is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Walter Johnson | Blake Snell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 417 | 85 |
| Losses not scored | 279 | 63 |
| Games | Leads: 802 | 231 |
| Games Started | Leads: 666 | 231 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 531 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 110 | 1 |
| Saves | Leads: 34 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,509 | 1,495 |
| Walks not scored | 1,363 | 537 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,913 | 922 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 111 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,914.2 | 1,200.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.17 | 3.10 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.22 |
| K/9 | 5.34 | Leads: 11.21 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.07 | 4.03 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces Blake Snell 124,021 to 27,494 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,906 PIV per season to 2,749, across 21 seasons to 10. 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)
Blake Snell — 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 Blake Snell owns 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 Blake Snell careers compare
Walter Johnson (1907–1927) was finished before Blake Snell (2016–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 802 games of Walter Johnson with 231 of Blake Snell across 21 and 10 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Blake Snell are strikeouts per nine (11.21 to 5.34). By rate, Walter Johnson struck out 5.34 and walked 2.07 per nine innings; Blake Snell struck out 11.21 and walked 4.03. Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games), and Blake Snell was mainly a starter (231 starts in 231 games). Complete games (531 to 1) show how differently the two eras used starters. Blake Snell's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Walter Johnson vs Blake Snell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Walter Johnson or Blake Snell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads Blake Snell in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Blake Snell's 3.10.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to Blake Snell's 85.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Blake Snell's 1,495.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Blake Snell's 1.22.