Ed Whitson

Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1977-1991)

Ed Whitson was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1977 to 1991 for 5 teams, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, a span of 15 seasons. Across 452 career appearances, he went 126-123 with a 3.79 ERA and 1,266 strikeouts. He also batted .125 with 1 home runs. Ed Whitson was an All-Star. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 3049.5.

W (Wins):
Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
ERA (Earned Run Average):
Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
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

W–L 126–123
ERA 3.79
WHIP 1.31
SO 1,266
Pitcher PIV 3049.5
Position
Pitcher
Bats / Throws
R / R
Height / Weight
6'3" / 195 lb
Born
5/19/1955 in Johnson City, TN, USA
MLB Debut
1977-09-04
Last Game
1991-09-29
Awards
All-Star

Full name: Eddie Lee Whitson

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Career Pitching Statistics

Ed Whitson — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
126 123 452 333 35 12 8 2240.0 2,240 944 211 698 1,266 3.79 3049.5

Career ERA 3.79 vs. league average 3.88 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Ed Whitson Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1977 PIT NL 1 0 5 2 0 0 0 15.2 11 6 9 10 3.45 4.00 (+14%) 319.7
1978 PIT NL 5 6 43 0 0 0 4 74.0 66 27 37 64 3.28 3.69 (+11%) 699.4
1979 PIT NL 2 3 19 7 0 0 1 57.2 53 28 36 31 4.37 4.00 (-9%) -1344.3
1979 SFN NL 5 8 18 17 2 0 0 100.1 98 44 39 62 3.95 4.00 (+1%) 1464.8
1980 SFN NL 11 13 34 34 6 2 0 211.2 222 73 56 90 3.10 3.84 (+19%) 3642.0
1981 SFN NL 6 9 22 22 2 1 0 123.0 130 55 47 65 4.02 3.58 (-12%) -651.5
1982 CLE AL 4 2 40 9 1 1 2 107.2 91 39 58 61 3.26 3.86 (+16%) -164.4
1983 SDN NL 5 7 31 21 2 0 1 144.1 143 69 50 81 4.30 3.87 (-11%) -3218.3
1984 SDN NL 14 8 31 31 1 0 0 189.0 181 68 42 103 3.24 3.81 (+15%) 1560.6
1985 NYA AL 10 8 30 30 2 2 0 158.2 201 86 43 89 4.88 3.89 (-25%) -303.7
1986 NYA AL 5 2 14 4 0 0 0 37.0 54 31 23 27 7.54 3.97 (-90%) -888.6
1986 SDN NL 1 7 17 12 0 0 0 75.2 85 47 37 46 5.59 3.97 (-41%) -802.2
1987 SDN NL 10 13 36 34 3 1 0 205.2 197 108 64 135 4.73 4.29 (-10%) -2661.1
1988 SDN NL 13 11 34 33 3 1 0 205.1 202 86 45 118 3.77 3.73 (-1%) 1956.2
1989 SDN NL 16 11 33 33 5 1 0 227.0 198 67 48 117 2.66 3.71 (+28%) 106.7
1990 SDN NL 14 9 32 32 6 3 0 228.2 215 66 47 127 2.60 3.86 (+33%) 4758.4
1991 SDN NL 4 6 13 12 2 0 0 78.2 93 44 17 40 5.03 3.91 (-29%) -1424.2
Career · 17 seasons 126 123 452 333 35 12 8 2,240.0 2,240 944 698 1,266 3.79 — 3,049

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Career Batting Statistics

Ed Whitson — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
461 576 24 72 9 0 1 27 0 18 169 .125 .152 .146 .297 -3,649

Career AVG .125 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — 51.8% below league average.

Career OBP .152 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 53.3% below league average.

Career SLG .146 vs. league average .389 across their career seasons — 62.5% below league average.

Career OPS .297 vs. league average .713 across their career seasons — 58.3% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Ed Whitson Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1977 PIT NL 5 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 — — — — 0.0
1978 PIT NL 43 11 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 .182 — — — — 0.0
1979 PIT NL 19 13 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 .000 — — — — 0.0
1979 SFN NL 18 32 1 5 0 0 0 2 0 0 10 .156 — — — — 0.0
1980 SFN NL 34 66 2 6 0 0 0 4 0 1 21 .091 .264 (-66%) .326 (-68%) .387 (-77%) .714 (-73%) -750.0
1981 SFN NL 22 33 2 3 0 0 0 1 0 3 13 .091 — — — — 0.0
1982 CLE AL 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1983 SDN NL 31 44 1 8 0 0 0 3 0 2 11 .182 — — — — 0.0
1984 SDN NL 36 61 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 12 .049 .259 (-81%) .322 (-80%) .384 (-87%) .707 (-84%) -795.7
1985 NYA AL 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1986 NYA AL 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1986 SDN NL 17 18 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 .167 — — — — 0.0
1987 SDN NL 36 65 1 8 1 0 0 4 0 1 17 .123 .262 (-53%) .331 (-59%) .415 (-67%) .746 (-63%) -671.0
1988 SDN NL 34 66 4 11 3 0 0 3 0 1 23 .167 .254 (-34%) .317 (-44%) .377 (-44%) .695 (-44%) -451.2
1989 SDN NL 36 72 4 10 4 0 0 4 0 5 19 .139 .254 (-45%) .319 (-39%) .375 (-48%) .694 (-44%) -492.2
1990 SDN NL 33 67 6 10 1 0 1 4 0 2 16 .149 .257 (-42%) .324 (-46%) .385 (-46%) .710 (-46%) -488.7
1991 SDN NL 13 24 1 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 6 .125 — — — — 0.0
Career · 17 seasons 461 576 24 72 9 0 1 27 0 18 169 .125 — — — — -3,649

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

Ed Whitson — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Ed Whitson — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1984 NLCS SDN 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000
1984 WS SDN 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

Ed Whitson — Playoff Career Pitching
W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1 0 2 2 0 8.2 10 4 2 6 4.15

Playoff Pitching by Year

Ed Whitson — Playoff Pitching by Year
Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1984 NLCS SDN 1 0 1 1 0 8.0 5 1 2 6 1.12
1984 WS SDN 0 0 1 1 0 0.2 5 3 0 0 40.50

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (913 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Ed Whitson — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home2212771236116.130
Away2402991236011.120

Pitching — Home / Away

Ed Whitson — Pitching — Home / Away
SplitGIPHERBBSOERA
Home2161118.110884493166473.61
Away2361121.211524953826193.97

Last 10 Games — Batting

Ed Whitson — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1991-09-29 SDPCINL 000000000
1991-07-05 SDPSFGW 201000000
1991-06-29 SDPSFGL 100000000
1991-05-26 SDPHOUL 100000000
1991-05-20 SDPATLW 110000010
1991-05-15 SDPNYNL 201000001
1991-05-10 SDPWSNL 200000001
1991-05-05 SDPWSNW 401000000
1991-04-29 SDPPHIL 200000100
1991-04-24 SDPSFGL 200000002

Last 10 Games — Pitching

Ed Whitson — Last 10 Games — Pitching
DateTmOppDecIPHRERBBSOHR
1991-09-29 SDPCIN — 0.1533000
1991-07-05 SDPSFG W 6.0822001
1991-06-29 SDPSFG L 5.0644151
1991-05-26 SDPHOU L 3.0644111
1991-05-20 SDPATL W 9.01133041
1991-05-15 SDPNYN L 6.21077452
1991-05-10 SDPWSN — 6.0822241
1991-05-05 SDPWSN W 9.0733381
1991-04-29 SDPPHI L 6.01154111
1991-04-24 SDPSFG L 6.1744330

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Ed Whitson — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
P 452 332 123 274 21 16

Season-by-Season Fielding

Ed Whitson — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1977 PIT P 5 1 0 2 0 0
1978 PIT P 43 0 3 8 1 0
1979 PIT P 19 7 2 6 0 1
1979 SFN P 18 17 2 15 2 1
1980 SFN P 34 34 8 27 3 0
1981 SFN P 22 22 10 11 3 1
1982 CLE P 40 9 4 8 0 0
1983 SDN P 31 21 4 6 0 0
1984 SDN P 31 31 11 35 0 3
1985 NYA P 30 30 8 16 3 3
1986 NYA P 14 4 1 5 0 0
1986 SDN P 17 12 6 13 2 1
1987 SDN P 36 34 14 19 1 0
1988 SDN P 34 33 10 30 4 2
1989 SDN P 33 33 17 22 2 1
1990 SDN P 32 32 18 42 0 3
1991 SDN P 13 12 5 9 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Ed Whitson Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Pitcher 452

Awards & Honors

Ed Whitson — Awards & Honors
Year Award Notes
1981 Pitcher of the Month August

Salary History

Ed Whitson's recorded salaries total $6,900,000 over 7 seasons, 1985 to 1991. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Whitson's career ran from 1977 to 1991. His seasons before 1985 are not included.

Ed Whitson — Salary History
Year Team League Salary
1991 SDN NL $1,325,000
1990 SDN NL $1,125,000
1989 SDN NL $1,050,000
1988 SDN NL $1,000,000
1987 SDN NL $800,000
1986 NYA AL $800,000
1985 NYA AL $800,000
Total recorded salary (partial) $6,900,000

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Ed Whitson (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Mike McCormick
    134-128, 3.73 ERA
  2. 92
    Johnny Podres
    148-116, 3.68 ERA
  3. 89
    Bob Rush
    127-152, 3.65 ERA
  4. 89
    Dick Ellsworth
    115-137, 3.72 ERA
  5. 86
    Don Cardwell
    102-138, 3.92 ERA
  6. 85
    Buddy Black
    121-116, 3.84 ERA

Ed Whitson: the record in brief

Ed Whitson played a first major league game on September 4, 1977 and a last one on September 29, 1991. Club by club, the record runs the Pittsburgh Pirates (1977 through 1979), the San Francisco Giants (1979 through 1981), the Cleveland Indians (1982), the San Diego Padres (1983 through 1991), and the New York Yankees (1985 to 1986). Whitson played primarily as a pitcher and batted and threw right-handed. Born on May 19, 1955, in Johnson City, TN, USA, Whitson was listed at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds. The given name on file is Eddie Lee Whitson.

Whitson went 126-123 with a 3.79 ERA in 452 games, 333 of them starts. The same table counts 1,266 strikeouts, 35 complete games, and 12 shutouts. Whitson's 3.79 ERA was close to the 3.88 league figure for those seasons. No season topped the 16 wins of 1989. Whitson struck out 135 batters in 1987, a career high.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ed Whitson

What years did Ed Whitson play?
Ed Whitson played in Major League Baseball from 1977 to 1991.
Was Ed Whitson a pitcher?
Yes. Ed Whitson pitched in the major leagues, recording 126 wins and 1266 strikeouts.
How many home runs did Ed Whitson hit?
Ed Whitson hit 1 career home run with 72 hits.
What teams did Ed Whitson play for?
Ed Whitson played for 5 teams: the Pittsburgh Pirates (1977–1979), the San Francisco Giants (1979–1981), the Cleveland Indians (1982), the San Diego Padres (1983–1984, 1986–1991), and the New York Yankees (1985–1986).
Did Ed Whitson win a Cy Young Award?
No. Ed Whitson did not win the Cy Young Award.
What awards did Ed Whitson win?
Ed Whitson was selected to 1 All-Star Game.
What were Ed Whitson's career stats?
In 452 games, Ed Whitson went 126-123 with a 3.79 ERA, 1,266 strikeouts, 2,240.0 innings pitched, and 8 saves. At the plate he had 72 hits and 1 home runs.
How much did Ed Whitson earn in his career?
Ed Whitson's recorded salaries total $6,900,000 over 7 seasons, 1985 to 1991. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Whitson's career ran from 1977 to 1991. His seasons before 1985 are not included.
What was Ed Whitson's salary?
Ed Whitson's last recorded salary was $1,325,000, in 1991. His highest recorded salary was $1,325,000, in 1991, and his lowest was $800,000, in 1985. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1991.
What position did Ed Whitson play?
Ed Whitson played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Ed Whitson and how much did he weigh?
Ed Whitson was listed at 6 feet 3 inches and 195 pounds.
What was Ed Whitson's career ERA?
Ed Whitson finished with a 3.79 career ERA, going 126-123 with 1,266 strikeouts.
How many strikeouts did Ed Whitson have?
Ed Whitson recorded 1,266 career strikeouts.
Is Ed Whitson in the Hall of Fame?
No. Ed Whitson has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.