Rube Marquard vs Ed Walsh: Career Stats Comparison
Ed Walsh 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). Rube Marquard played 1908–1925 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
Rube Marquard (1908–1925) and Ed Walsh (1904–1917) — both debuted in the 1900s. Rube Marquard finished with 201 wins and 1,593 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? Ed Walsh, in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Rube Marquard's 3.08.
- Who won more games? Rube Marquard, with 201 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Ed Walsh, with 1,736 to Rube Marquard's 1,593.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Rube Marquard's 1.24.
- How many innings did each pitch? Rube Marquard 3,306.2, Ed Walsh 2,964.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Ed Walsh, with 57 to Rube Marquard's 30.
Rube Marquard
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 | Rube Marquard | Ed Walsh |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 201 | 195 |
| Losses not scored | 177 | 126 |
| Games not scored | 536 | 430 |
| Games Started not scored | 404 | 315 |
| Complete Games | 197 | Leads: 250 |
| Shutouts | 30 | Leads: 57 |
| Saves not scored | 19 | 35 |
| Strikeouts | 1,593 | Leads: 1,736 |
| Walks not scored | 858 | 617 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,233 | 2,346 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 107 | 23 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,306.2 | 2,964.1 |
| ERA | 3.08 | Leads: 1.82 |
| WHIP | 1.24 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | 4.34 | Leads: 5.27 |
| BB/9 | 2.34 | Leads: 1.87 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ed Walsh outpaces Rube Marquard 62,631 to 28,636 — driven by per-season impact — 4,474 PIV per season to 1,591 — rather than by longevity, since Ed Walsh played 14 seasons to Rube Marquard's 18. 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).
Rube Marquard — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Ed Walsh — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Ed Walsh leads 7 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, ERA, and others. Rube Marquard leads 1: wins. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ed Walsh. PIV agrees: Ed Walsh grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rube Marquard and Ed Walsh careers compare
From 1908 through 1917, Rube Marquard and Ed Walsh were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 536 games for Rube Marquard and 430 for Ed Walsh across 18 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Rube Marquard comes out ahead, it is in wins (201 to 195). By rate, Rube Marquard struck out 4.34 and walked 2.34 per nine innings; Ed Walsh struck out 5.27 and walked 1.87. Rube Marquard was mainly a starter (404 starts in 536 games), and Ed Walsh was mainly a starter (315 starts in 430 games). Ed Walsh allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.00 WHIP to Rube Marquard's 1.24.
Rube Marquard vs Ed Walsh: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rube Marquard or Ed Walsh?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ed Walsh leads Rube Marquard in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Rube Marquard's 3.08.
- Who won more games?
- Rube Marquard, with 201 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Ed Walsh, with 1,736 to Rube Marquard's 1,593.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Rube Marquard's 1.24.