Walter Johnson vs Joe Williams: 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; Joe Williams played ?–1932 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 Joe Williams (?–1932) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Walter Johnson finished with 417 wins and 3,509 strikeouts; Joe Williams finished with 109 wins and 1,033 strikeouts. 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 Joe Williams's 2.57.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to Joe Williams's 109.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Joe Williams's 1,033.
- Who had the better WHIP? Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Joe Williams's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Walter Johnson, with 5,914.2 to Joe Williams's 1,517.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to Joe Williams's 14.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Walter Johnson, with 124,021 career Pitcher PIV to Joe Williams's 44,974.
Walter Johnson
Joe Williams
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Walter Johnson | Joe Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 417 | 109 |
| Losses not scored | 279 | 59 |
| Games | Leads: 802 | 207 |
| Games Started | Leads: 666 | 172 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 531 | 140 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 110 | 14 |
| Saves | Leads: 34 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,509 | 1,033 |
| Walks not scored | 1,363 | 339 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,913 | 1,456 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 26 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,914.2 | 1,517.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.17 | 2.57 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | 5.34 | Leads: 6.13 |
| BB/9 | 2.07 | Leads: 2.01 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces Joe Williams 124,021 to 44,974 — driven by per-season impact — 5,906 PIV per season to 2,142 — rather than by longevity, since Walter Johnson played 21 seasons to Joe Williams's 21. 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)
Joe Williams — 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 Joe Williams 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 Joe Williams careers compare
Walter Johnson (1907–1927) was finished before Joe Williams (?–1932) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 802 games of Walter Johnson with 207 of Joe Williams across 21 and 21 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Joe Williams's edges on the table are strikeouts per nine (6.13 to 5.34) and walks per nine (2.01 to 2.07). By rate, Walter Johnson struck out 5.34 and walked 2.07 per nine innings; Joe Williams struck out 6.13 and walked 2.01. Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games), and Joe Williams was mainly a starter (172 starts in 207 games).
Walter Johnson vs Joe Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Walter Johnson or Joe Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads Joe Williams in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Joe Williams's 2.57.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to Joe Williams's 109.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Joe Williams's 1,033.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Joe Williams's 1.18.