Walter Johnson vs Dazzy Vance: Career Stats Comparison
Walter Johnson has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Dazzy Vance played 1915–1935 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 Dazzy Vance (1915–1935) — they debuted in the 1900s and the 1910s respectively and share 13 seasons. Walter Johnson finished with 417 wins and 3,509 strikeouts; Dazzy Vance finished with 197 wins and 2,045 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Walter Johnson, in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Dazzy Vance's 3.24.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to Dazzy Vance's 197.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Dazzy Vance's 2,045.
- Who had the better WHIP? Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Dazzy Vance's 1.23.
- How many innings did each pitch? Walter Johnson 5,914.2, Dazzy Vance 2,966.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to Dazzy Vance's 29.
Walter Johnson
Dazzy Vance
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 | Dazzy Vance |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 417 | 197 |
| Losses not scored | 279 | 140 |
| Games not scored | 802 | 442 |
| Games Started not scored | 666 | 347 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 531 | 216 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 110 | 29 |
| Saves not scored | 34 | 11 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,509 | 2,045 |
| Walks not scored | 1,363 | 840 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,913 | 2,809 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 132 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 5,914.2 | 2,966.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.17 | 3.24 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.23 |
| K/9 | 5.34 | Leads: 6.20 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.07 | 2.55 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces Dazzy Vance 124,021 to 70,553 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,906 PIV per season to 4,410, across 21 seasons to 16. 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)
Dazzy Vance — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Walter Johnson leads 7 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Dazzy Vance leads 1: strikeouts per nine. 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 Dazzy Vance careers compare
Walter Johnson and Dazzy Vance were active at the same time between 1915 and 1927. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Walter Johnson appeared in 802 games to Dazzy Vance's 442. The green cells for Dazzy Vance are strikeouts per nine (6.20 to 5.34). The per-nine rows read 5.34 strikeouts and 2.07 walks for Walter Johnson, 6.20 and 2.55 for Dazzy Vance. Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games), and Dazzy Vance was mainly a starter (347 starts in 442 games). Walter Johnson allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.06 WHIP to Dazzy Vance's 1.23.
Walter Johnson vs Dazzy Vance: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Walter Johnson or Dazzy Vance?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads Dazzy Vance in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Dazzy Vance's 3.24.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to Dazzy Vance's 197.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Dazzy Vance's 2,045.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Dazzy Vance's 1.23.