Don Newcombe vs Ed Walsh: Career Stats Comparison
Ed Walsh has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Don Newcombe played 1949–1960 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
Don Newcombe (1949–1960) and Ed Walsh (1904–1917) — breaking in during the 1940s and the 1900s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Don Newcombe finished with 153 wins and 1,185 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 Don Newcombe's 3.57.
- Who won more games? Ed Walsh, with 195 to Don Newcombe's 153.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Ed Walsh, with 1,736 to Don Newcombe's 1,185.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Don Newcombe's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? Ed Walsh, with 2,964.1 to Don Newcombe's 2,247.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Ed Walsh, with 57 to Don Newcombe's 24.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Ed Walsh, with 62,631 career Pitcher PIV to Don Newcombe's 20,184.
Don Newcombe
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 1940s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Don Newcombe | Ed Walsh |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 153 | Leads: 195 |
| Losses not scored | 96 | 126 |
| Games | 359 | Leads: 430 |
| Games Started | 305 | Leads: 315 |
| Complete Games | 145 | Leads: 250 |
| Shutouts | 24 | Leads: 57 |
| Saves | 7 | Leads: 35 |
| Strikeouts | 1,185 | Leads: 1,736 |
| Walks not scored | 528 | 617 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,185 | 2,346 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 255 | 23 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,247.0 | Leads: 2,964.1 |
| ERA | 3.57 | Leads: 1.82 |
| WHIP | 1.21 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | 4.75 | Leads: 5.27 |
| BB/9 | 2.11 | Leads: 1.87 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ed Walsh outpaces Don Newcombe 62,631 to 20,184 — driven by per-season impact — 4,474 PIV per season to 1,442 — rather than by longevity, since Ed Walsh played 14 seasons to Don Newcombe's 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).
Don Newcombe — 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 wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Don Newcombe owns no headline categories. 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 Don Newcombe and Ed Walsh careers compare
No season is shared: Ed Walsh played 1904–1917, Don Newcombe 1949–1960. The two careers are close in length, 359 games for Don Newcombe and 430 for Ed Walsh across 14 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Every scored category on the table goes to Ed Walsh. By rate, Don Newcombe struck out 4.75 and walked 2.11 per nine innings; Ed Walsh struck out 5.27 and walked 1.87. Both had the same role: Don Newcombe was mainly a starter (305 starts in 359 games); Ed Walsh was mainly a starter (315 starts in 430 games). In WHIP, Ed Walsh's 1.00 beats Don Newcombe's 1.21.
Don Newcombe vs Ed Walsh: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Don Newcombe or Ed Walsh?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ed Walsh leads Don Newcombe in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Don Newcombe's 3.57.
- Who won more games?
- Ed Walsh, with 195 to Don Newcombe's 153.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Ed Walsh, with 1,736 to Don Newcombe's 1,185.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Don Newcombe's 1.21.