Robin Roberts vs Ed Walsh: Career Stats Comparison
Robin Roberts 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). Robin Roberts played 1948–1966 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
Robin Roberts (1948–1966) and Ed Walsh (1904–1917) — breaking in during the 1940s and the 1900s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Robin Roberts finished with 286 wins and 2,357 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 Robin Roberts's 3.41.
- Who won more games? Robin Roberts, with 286 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Robin Roberts, with 2,357 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Robin Roberts's 1.17.
- Who pitched more innings? Robin Roberts, with 4,688.2 to Ed Walsh's 2,964.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Ed Walsh, with 57 to Robin Roberts's 45.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Ed Walsh, with 62,631 career Pitcher PIV to Robin Roberts's 49,794.
Robin Roberts
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 | Robin Roberts | Ed Walsh |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 286 | 195 |
| Losses not scored | 245 | 126 |
| Games | Leads: 676 | 430 |
| Games Started | Leads: 609 | 315 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 305 | 250 |
| Shutouts | 45 | Leads: 57 |
| Saves | 25 | Leads: 35 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,357 | 1,736 |
| Walks not scored | 902 | 617 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,582 | 2,346 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 505 | 23 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,688.2 | 2,964.1 |
| ERA | 3.41 | Leads: 1.82 |
| WHIP | 1.17 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | 4.52 | Leads: 5.27 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.73 | 1.87 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ed Walsh leads Robin Roberts 62,631 to 49,794 — driven by per-season impact — 4,474 PIV per season to 2,371 — rather than by longevity, since Ed Walsh played 14 seasons to Robin Roberts's 21. 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).
Robin Roberts — 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 ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Robin Roberts owns wins, strikeouts, 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 Robin Roberts and Ed Walsh careers compare
Ed Walsh (1904–1917) was finished before Robin Roberts (1948–1966) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Robin Roberts appeared in 676 games to Ed Walsh's 430. The per-nine rows read 4.52 strikeouts and 1.73 walks for Robin Roberts, 5.27 and 1.87 for Ed Walsh. Robin Roberts was mainly a starter (609 starts in 676 games), and Ed Walsh was mainly a starter (315 starts in 430 games). In WHIP, Ed Walsh's 1.00 beats Robin Roberts's 1.17. Ed Walsh owns the better peak by ERA: 2.59 ERA in 1952 for Robin Roberts against 1.27 ERA in 1910 for Ed Walsh.
Robin Roberts vs Ed Walsh: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Robin Roberts or Ed Walsh?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Robin Roberts leads Ed Walsh in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Robin Roberts's 3.41.
- Who won more games?
- Robin Roberts, with 286 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Robin Roberts, with 2,357 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Robin Roberts's 1.17.