Ed Walsh vs Vic Willis: Career Stats Comparison
Ed Walsh 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). Ed Walsh played 1904–1917 as a pitcher; Vic Willis played 1898–1910 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
Ed Walsh (1904–1917) and Vic Willis (1898–1910) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Ed Walsh finished with 195 wins and 1,736 strikeouts; Vic Willis finished with 249 wins and 1,651 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 Vic Willis's 2.63.
- Who won more games? Vic Willis, with 249 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Ed Walsh, with 1,736 to Vic Willis's 1,651.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Vic Willis's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? Vic Willis, with 3,996.0 to Ed Walsh's 2,964.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Ed Walsh, with 57 to Vic Willis's 50.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Ed Walsh, with 62,631 career Pitcher PIV to Vic Willis's 6,893.
Ed Walsh
Vic Willis
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 1900s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ed Walsh | Vic Willis |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 195 | Leads: 249 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 205 |
| Games | 430 | Leads: 513 |
| Games Started | 315 | Leads: 471 |
| Complete Games | 250 | Leads: 388 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 57 | 50 |
| Saves | Leads: 35 | 11 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,736 | 1,651 |
| Walks not scored | 617 | 1,212 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,346 | 3,621 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 23 | 66 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,964.1 | Leads: 3,996.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 1.82 | 2.63 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.00 | 1.21 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.27 | 3.72 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.87 | 2.73 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ed Walsh outpaces Vic Willis 62,631 to 6,893 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,474 PIV per season to 530, across 14 seasons to 13. 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).
Ed Walsh — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Vic Willis — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ed Walsh leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Vic Willis owns wins 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 Ed Walsh and Vic Willis careers compare
From 1904 through 1910, Ed Walsh and Vic Willis were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 430 games for Ed Walsh and 513 for Vic Willis across 14 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 5.27 strikeouts and 1.87 walks for Ed Walsh, 3.72 and 2.73 for Vic Willis. Ed Walsh was mainly a starter (315 starts in 430 games), and Vic Willis was mainly a starter (471 starts in 513 games). Ed Walsh allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.00 WHIP to Vic Willis's 1.21.
Ed Walsh vs Vic Willis: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ed Walsh or Vic Willis?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ed Walsh leads Vic Willis in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Vic Willis's 2.63.
- Who won more games?
- Vic Willis, with 249 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Ed Walsh, with 1,736 to Vic Willis's 1,651.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Vic Willis's 1.21.