Clayton Kershaw vs Ed Walsh: Career Stats Comparison
Ed Walsh has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Clayton Kershaw played 2008–2025 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
Clayton Kershaw (2008–2025) and Ed Walsh (1904–1917) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1900s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Clayton Kershaw finished with 223 wins and 3,052 strikeouts; Ed Walsh finished with 195 wins and 1,736 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Clayton Kershaw's 2.53.
- Who won more games? Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Clayton Kershaw's 1.02.
- Who pitched more innings? Ed Walsh, with 2,964.1 to Clayton Kershaw's 2,855.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Ed Walsh, with 57 to Clayton Kershaw's 15.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Clayton Kershaw, with 93,455 career Pitcher PIV to Ed Walsh's 62,631.
Clayton Kershaw
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. 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 2000s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Clayton Kershaw | Ed Walsh |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 223 | 195 |
| Losses not scored | 96 | 126 |
| Games | Leads: 455 | 430 |
| Games Started | Leads: 451 | 315 |
| Complete Games | 25 | Leads: 250 |
| Shutouts | 15 | Leads: 57 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 35 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,052 | 1,736 |
| Walks not scored | 713 | 617 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,193 | 2,346 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 235 | 23 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,855.1 | Leads: 2,964.1 |
| ERA | 2.53 | Leads: 1.82 |
| WHIP | 1.02 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.62 | 5.27 |
| BB/9 | 2.25 | Leads: 1.87 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw outpaces Ed Walsh 93,455 to 62,631 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,192 PIV per season to 4,474, across 18 seasons to 14. 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).
Clayton Kershaw — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Ed Walsh — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Clayton Kershaw leads in wins, strikeouts, and K/9, while Ed Walsh owns ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Clayton Kershaw. PIV agrees: Clayton Kershaw grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Clayton Kershaw and Ed Walsh careers compare
Ed Walsh (1904–1917) was finished before Clayton Kershaw (2008–2025) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 455 games against 430 across 18 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The per-nine rows read 9.62 strikeouts and 2.25 walks for Clayton Kershaw, 5.27 and 1.87 for Ed Walsh. Both had the same role: Clayton Kershaw was mainly a starter (451 starts in 455 games); Ed Walsh was mainly a starter (315 starts in 430 games). The complete-game row, 25 against 250, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. In WHIP, Ed Walsh's 1.00 beats Clayton Kershaw's 1.02.
Clayton Kershaw vs Ed Walsh: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Clayton Kershaw or Ed Walsh?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ed Walsh leads Clayton Kershaw in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Clayton Kershaw's 2.53.
- Who won more games?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Clayton Kershaw's 1.02.