Ed Walsh vs Early Wynn: Career Stats Comparison
Ed Walsh and Early Wynn are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Ed Walsh played 1904–1917 as a pitcher; Early Wynn played 1939–1963 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 Early Wynn (1939–1963) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 1930s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Ed Walsh finished with 195 wins and 1,736 strikeouts; Early Wynn finished with 300 wins and 2,334 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 Early Wynn's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Early Wynn, with 300 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Early Wynn, with 2,334 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Early Wynn's 1.33.
- Who pitched more innings? Early Wynn, with 4,564.0 to Ed Walsh's 2,964.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Ed Walsh, with 57 to Early Wynn's 49.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Ed Walsh, with 62,631 career Pitcher PIV to Early Wynn's 25,348.
Ed Walsh
Early Wynn
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 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ed Walsh | Early Wynn |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 195 | Leads: 300 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 244 |
| Games | 430 | Leads: 691 |
| Games Started | 315 | Leads: 612 |
| Complete Games | 250 | Leads: 290 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 57 | 49 |
| Saves | Leads: 35 | 15 |
| Strikeouts | 1,736 | Leads: 2,334 |
| Walks not scored | 617 | 1,775 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,346 | 4,291 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 23 | 338 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,964.1 | Leads: 4,564.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 1.82 | 3.54 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.00 | 1.33 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.27 | 4.60 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.87 | 3.50 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ed Walsh outpaces Early Wynn 62,631 to 25,348 — driven by per-season impact — 4,474 PIV per season to 1,102 — rather than by longevity, since Ed Walsh played 14 seasons to Early Wynn's 23. 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)
Early Wynn — 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 Early Wynn 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 Ed Walsh and Early Wynn careers compare
No season is shared: Ed Walsh played 1904–1917, Early Wynn 1939–1963. Early Wynn has the far longer record, 691 games against 430 across 14 and 23 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The per-nine rows read 5.27 strikeouts and 1.87 walks for Ed Walsh, 4.60 and 3.50 for Early Wynn. Ed Walsh was mainly a starter (315 starts in 430 games), and Early Wynn was mainly a starter (612 starts in 691 games). Ed Walsh allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.00 WHIP to Early Wynn's 1.33. Best seasons: 1910 for Ed Walsh (1.27 ERA, 18-20, 258 K in 369 IP) and 1956 for Early Wynn (2.72 ERA, 20-9, 158 K in 277 IP).
Ed Walsh vs Early Wynn: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Early Wynn's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Early Wynn, with 300 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Early Wynn, with 2,334 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Early Wynn's 1.33.