Justin Verlander vs Ed Walsh: Career Stats Comparison
Justin Verlander 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). Justin Verlander has played 2005–present 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
Justin Verlander (2005–present) and Ed Walsh (1904–1917) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1900s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Justin Verlander has 266 wins and 3,560 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; 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 Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games? Justin Verlander, with 266 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Justin Verlander, with 3,576.2 to Ed Walsh's 2,964.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Ed Walsh, with 57 to Justin Verlander's 9.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Justin Verlander, with 68,171 career Pitcher PIV to Ed Walsh's 62,631.
Justin Verlander
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 2000s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Justin Verlander is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Justin Verlander | Ed Walsh |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 266 | 195 |
| Losses not scored | 159 | 126 |
| Games | Leads: 557 | 430 |
| Games Started | Leads: 557 | 315 |
| Complete Games | 26 | Leads: 250 |
| Shutouts | 9 | Leads: 57 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 35 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,560 | 1,736 |
| Walks not scored | 1,007 | 617 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,057 | 2,346 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 374 | 23 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,576.2 | 2,964.1 |
| ERA | 3.33 | Leads: 1.82 |
| WHIP | 1.14 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.96 | 5.27 |
| BB/9 | 2.53 | Leads: 1.87 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander leads Ed Walsh 68,171 to 62,631 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Justin Verlander played 22 seasons to Ed Walsh's 14, while Ed Walsh carries the higher per-season figure (4,474 to 3,099). 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).
Justin Verlander — 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, Justin Verlander 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 Justin Verlander. PIV agrees: Justin Verlander grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Justin Verlander and Ed Walsh careers compare
No season is shared: Ed Walsh played 1904–1917, Justin Verlander 2005–present. With 557 games against 430 across 22 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. By rate, Justin Verlander struck out 8.96 and walked 2.53 per nine innings; Ed Walsh struck out 5.27 and walked 1.87. Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games), and Ed Walsh was mainly a starter (315 starts in 430 games). Complete games (26 to 250) show how differently the two eras used starters. In WHIP, Ed Walsh's 1.00 beats Justin Verlander's 1.14. Justin Verlander's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Justin Verlander vs Ed Walsh: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- Justin Verlander, with 266 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.