GOAT Index

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Walter Johnson: the case for the GOAT

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    Walter Johnson: the case for the GOAT

    P · Senators · Born 6 November 1887, Humboldt, Kansas, USA · Died 1946 · Career 1907–1927

    Right-handed pitcher nicknamed 'the Big Train' who spent his entire 21-season career with the Washington Senators, famed for his overpowering fastball.

    Career highlights

    Why Walter Johnson could be the GOAT

    Johnson won 417 games for a Washington team that was often poor, and his 110 shutouts remain a record. His strikeout record lasted more than half a century. Many historians rate him the greatest pitcher who ever lived.

    What fans say

    Walter Johnson is #2 of 25 in the fan ranking, with a 1–0 head-to-head record from 4 MLB votes. See the full MLB GOAT ranking

    Walter Johnson head to head

    How the ranking works. Every head-to-head vote is a result, like a game. The standings use a Bradley–Terry model, the same idea behind chess ratings: beating a highly rated legend counts for more than beating a long shot. Ratings are shown on a chess-style scale centred on 1500.

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