Joe McGinnity 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). Joe McGinnity played 1899–1908 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
Joe McGinnity (1899–1908) and Ed Walsh (1904–1917) — breaking in during the 1890s and the 1900s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Joe McGinnity finished with 246 wins and 1,068 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 Joe McGinnity's 2.66.
- Who won more games? Joe McGinnity, with 246 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Ed Walsh, with 1,736 to Joe McGinnity's 1,068.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Joe McGinnity's 1.19.
- Who pitched more innings? Joe McGinnity, with 3,441.1 to Ed Walsh's 2,964.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Ed Walsh, with 57 to Joe McGinnity's 32.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Ed Walsh, with 62,631 career Pitcher PIV to Joe McGinnity's 3,283.
Joe McGinnity
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 1890s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Joe McGinnity | Ed Walsh |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 246 | 195 |
| Losses not scored | 142 | 126 |
| Games | Leads: 465 | 430 |
| Games Started | Leads: 381 | 315 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 314 | 250 |
| Shutouts | 32 | Leads: 57 |
| Saves | 24 | Leads: 35 |
| Strikeouts | 1,068 | Leads: 1,736 |
| Walks not scored | 812 | 617 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,276 | 2,346 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 52 | 23 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,441.1 | 2,964.1 |
| ERA | 2.66 | Leads: 1.82 |
| WHIP | 1.19 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | 2.79 | Leads: 5.27 |
| BB/9 | 2.12 | Leads: 1.87 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ed Walsh outpaces Joe McGinnity 62,631 to 3,283 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,474 PIV per season to 298, across 14 seasons to 11. 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).
Joe McGinnity — 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, Ed Walsh leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Joe McGinnity owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but 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 Joe McGinnity and Ed Walsh careers compare
The careers of Joe McGinnity (1899–1908) and Ed Walsh (1904–1917) overlapped from 1904 to 1908, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 465 games for Joe McGinnity and 430 for Ed Walsh across 11 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 2.79 strikeouts and 2.12 walks for Joe McGinnity, 5.27 and 1.87 for Ed Walsh. Joe McGinnity was mainly a starter (381 starts in 465 games), and Ed Walsh was mainly a starter (315 starts in 430 games). Ed Walsh allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.00 WHIP to Joe McGinnity's 1.19.
Joe McGinnity vs Ed Walsh: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Joe McGinnity or Ed Walsh?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ed Walsh leads Joe McGinnity in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Joe McGinnity's 2.66.
- Who won more games?
- Joe McGinnity, with 246 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Ed Walsh, with 1,736 to Joe McGinnity's 1,068.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Joe McGinnity's 1.19.