Walter Johnson vs Ed Walsh: Career Stats Comparison
Walter Johnson has the better career line of the two, leading 5 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; Ed Walsh played 1904–1917 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 Ed Walsh (1904–1917) — both debuted in the 1900s. Walter Johnson finished with 417 wins and 3,509 strikeouts; Ed Walsh finished with 195 wins and 1,736 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Walter Johnson, in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Walter Johnson's 2.17.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Walter Johnson's 1.06.
- How many innings did each pitch? Walter Johnson 5,914.2, Ed Walsh 2,964.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to Ed Walsh's 57.
Walter Johnson
Ed Walsh
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 | Ed Walsh |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 417 | 195 |
| Losses not scored | 279 | 126 |
| Games not scored | 802 | 430 |
| Games Started not scored | 666 | 315 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 531 | 250 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 110 | 57 |
| Saves not scored | 34 | 35 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,509 | 1,736 |
| Walks not scored | 1,363 | 617 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,913 | 2,346 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 23 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 5,914.2 | 2,964.1 |
| ERA | 2.17 | Leads: 1.82 |
| WHIP | 1.06 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.34 | 5.27 |
| BB/9 | 2.07 | Leads: 1.87 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces Ed Walsh 124,021 to 62,631 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,906 PIV per season to 4,474, across 21 seasons to 14. 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)
Ed Walsh — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Walter Johnson leads 5 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Ed Walsh leads 3: ERA, WHIP, and walks 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 Ed Walsh careers compare
Walter Johnson and Ed Walsh were active at the same time between 1907 and 1917. The table compares 802 games of Walter Johnson with 430 of Ed Walsh across 21 and 14 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Ed Walsh comes out ahead, it is in ERA (1.82 to 2.17), WHIP (1.00 to 1.06), and walks per nine (1.87 to 2.07). The per-nine rows read 5.34 strikeouts and 2.07 walks for Walter Johnson, 5.27 and 1.87 for Ed Walsh. Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games), and Ed Walsh was mainly a starter (315 starts in 430 games).
Walter Johnson vs Ed Walsh: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Walter Johnson or Ed Walsh?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads Ed Walsh in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Walter Johnson's 2.17.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Walter Johnson's 1.06.