Phil Niekro vs Ed Walsh: Career Stats Comparison
Phil Niekro and Ed Walsh are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Phil Niekro played 1964–1987 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
Phil Niekro (1964–1987) and Ed Walsh (1904–1917) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1900s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Phil Niekro finished with 318 wins and 3,342 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 Phil Niekro's 3.35.
- Who won more games? Phil Niekro, with 318 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Phil Niekro, with 3,342 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Phil Niekro's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Phil Niekro, with 5,404.1 to Ed Walsh's 2,964.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Ed Walsh, with 57 to Phil Niekro's 45.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Ed Walsh, with 62,631 career Pitcher PIV to Phil Niekro's 13,102.
Phil Niekro
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 1960s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Phil Niekro | Ed Walsh |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 318 | 195 |
| Losses not scored | 274 | 126 |
| Games | Leads: 864 | 430 |
| Games Started | Leads: 716 | 315 |
| Complete Games | 245 | Leads: 250 |
| Shutouts | 45 | Leads: 57 |
| Saves | 29 | Leads: 35 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,342 | 1,736 |
| Walks not scored | 1,809 | 617 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 5,044 | 2,346 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 482 | 23 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,404.1 | 2,964.1 |
| ERA | 3.35 | Leads: 1.82 |
| WHIP | 1.27 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.57 | 5.27 |
| BB/9 | 3.01 | Leads: 1.87 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ed Walsh outpaces Phil Niekro 62,631 to 13,102 — driven by per-season impact — 4,474 PIV per season to 504 — rather than by longevity, since Ed Walsh played 14 seasons to Phil Niekro's 26. 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).
Phil Niekro — 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, Phil Niekro leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Ed Walsh owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Phil Niekro. Note that PIV actually grades Ed Walsh ahead, which means Phil Niekro's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Phil Niekro and Ed Walsh careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Ed Walsh's ended in 1917, and Phil Niekro debuted in 1964. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Phil Niekro appeared in 864 games to Ed Walsh's 430. By rate, Phil Niekro struck out 5.57 and walked 3.01 per nine innings; Ed Walsh struck out 5.27 and walked 1.87. Phil Niekro was mainly a starter (716 starts in 864 games), and Ed Walsh was mainly a starter (315 starts in 430 games). In WHIP, Ed Walsh's 1.00 beats Phil Niekro's 1.27.
Phil Niekro vs Ed Walsh: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Phil Niekro's 3.35.
- Who won more games?
- Phil Niekro, with 318 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Phil Niekro, with 3,342 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Phil Niekro's 1.27.