Curt Schilling vs Ed Walsh: Career Stats Comparison
Curt Schilling 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). Curt Schilling played 1988–2007 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
Curt Schilling (1988–2007) and Ed Walsh (1904–1917) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1900s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Curt Schilling finished with 216 wins and 3,116 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 Curt Schilling's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Curt Schilling, with 216 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Curt Schilling's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Curt Schilling, with 3,261.0 to Ed Walsh's 2,964.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Ed Walsh, with 57 to Curt Schilling's 20.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Curt Schilling, with 98,246 career Pitcher PIV to Ed Walsh's 62,631.
Curt Schilling
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 1980s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Curt Schilling | Ed Walsh |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 216 | 195 |
| Losses not scored | 146 | 126 |
| Games | Leads: 569 | 430 |
| Games Started | Leads: 436 | 315 |
| Complete Games | 83 | Leads: 250 |
| Shutouts | 20 | Leads: 57 |
| Saves | 22 | Leads: 35 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,116 | 1,736 |
| Walks not scored | 711 | 617 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,998 | 2,346 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 347 | 23 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,261.0 | 2,964.1 |
| ERA | 3.46 | Leads: 1.82 |
| WHIP | 1.14 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.60 | 5.27 |
| BB/9 | 1.96 | Leads: 1.87 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Curt Schilling outpaces Ed Walsh 98,246 to 62,631 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,678 PIV per season to 4,474, across 21 seasons to 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).
Curt Schilling — 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, Curt Schilling 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 Curt Schilling. PIV agrees: Curt Schilling grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Curt Schilling and Ed Walsh careers compare
Ed Walsh (1904–1917) was finished before Curt Schilling (1988–2007) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 569 games against 430 across 21 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. By rate, Curt Schilling struck out 8.60 and walked 1.96 per nine innings; Ed Walsh struck out 5.27 and walked 1.87. Both had the same role: Curt Schilling was mainly a starter (436 starts in 569 games); Ed Walsh was mainly a starter (315 starts in 430 games). Complete games (83 to 250) show how differently the two eras used starters. In WHIP, Ed Walsh's 1.00 beats Curt Schilling's 1.14.
Curt Schilling vs Ed Walsh: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Curt Schilling's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Curt Schilling, with 216 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Curt Schilling's 1.14.