Walter Johnson vs Yoshinobu Yamamoto: 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; Yoshinobu Yamamoto 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 Yoshinobu Yamamoto (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; Yoshinobu Yamamoto has 33 wins and 488 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 Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 2.61.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 488.
- Who had the better WHIP? Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with 0.97 to Walter Johnson's 1.06.
- Who pitched more innings? Walter Johnson, with 5,914.2 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 448.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Walter Johnson, with 124,021 career Pitcher PIV to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 8,844.
Walter Johnson
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
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.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Walter Johnson | Yoshinobu Yamamoto |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 417 | 33 |
| Losses not scored | 279 | 19 |
| Games | Leads: 802 | 76 |
| Games Started | Leads: 666 | 76 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 531 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 110 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 34 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,509 | 488 |
| Walks not scored | 1,363 | 123 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,913 | 310 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 41 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,914.2 | 448.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.17 | 2.61 |
| WHIP | 1.06 | Leads: 0.97 |
| K/9 | 5.34 | Leads: 9.79 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.07 | 2.47 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces Yoshinobu Yamamoto 124,021 to 8,844 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,906 PIV per season to 4,422, across 21 seasons to 2. 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)
Yoshinobu Yamamoto — top 2 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Walter Johnson leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto 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 Yoshinobu Yamamoto careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Walter Johnson's ended in 1927, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto debuted in 2024. Walter Johnson has the far longer record, 802 games against 76 across 21 and 2 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Yoshinobu Yamamoto are WHIP (0.97 to 1.06) and strikeouts per nine (9.79 to 5.34). By rate, Walter Johnson struck out 5.34 and walked 2.07 per nine innings; Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out 9.79 and walked 2.47. Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games), and Yoshinobu Yamamoto was mainly a starter (76 starts in 76 games). The complete-game row, 531 against 1, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. Because Yoshinobu Yamamoto is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Walter Johnson vs Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Walter Johnson or Yoshinobu Yamamoto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads Yoshinobu Yamamoto in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 2.61.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 488.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with 0.97 to Walter Johnson's 1.06.