Corbin Burnes vs Don Newcombe: Career Stats Comparison

Don Newcombe has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Corbin Burnes has played 2018–present as a pitcher; Don Newcombe played 1949–1960 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

Corbin Burnes (2018–present) and Don Newcombe (1949–1960) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1940s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Corbin Burnes has 63 wins and 1,122 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Don Newcombe finished with 153 wins and 1,185 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Quick answer

  • Who had the better ERA? Corbin Burnes, with 3.20 to Don Newcombe's 3.57.
  • Who won more games? Don Newcombe, with 153 to Corbin Burnes's 63.
  • Who recorded more strikeouts? Don Newcombe, with 1,185 to Corbin Burnes's 1,122.
  • Who had the better WHIP? Corbin Burnes, with 1.08 to Don Newcombe's 1.21.
  • Who pitched more innings? Don Newcombe, with 2,247.0 to Corbin Burnes's 978.1.
  • Who threw more shutouts? Don Newcombe, with 24 to Corbin Burnes's 0.
  • Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Corbin Burnes, with 23,443 career Pitcher PIV to Don Newcombe's 20,184.
Leads Don Newcombe 9 of 12 scored categories
Pitcher PIV edge Corbin Burnes +3,260
Read the verdict ↓

Corbin Burnes

Pitcher · 2018–present
Wins
63
Losses
38
Strikeouts
1,122
ERA
3.20
WHIP
1.08
IP
978.1
View Corbin Burnes's full profile →

Don Newcombe

Pitcher · 1949–1960
Wins
153
Losses
96
Strikeouts
1,185
ERA
3.57
WHIP
1.21
IP
2,247.0
View Don Newcombe's full profile →

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 2010s and the 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.

Corbin Burnes is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.

Corbin Burnes vs Don Newcombe: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Corbin Burnes Don Newcombe
Wins 63 Leads: 153
Losses not scored 38 96
Games 213 Leads: 359
Games Started 152 Leads: 305
Complete Games 0 Leads: 145
Shutouts 0 Leads: 24
Saves 2 Leads: 7
Strikeouts 1,122 Leads: 1,185
Walks not scored 284 528
Hits Allowed not scored 768 2,185
Home Runs Allowed not scored 109 255
Innings Pitched 978.1 Leads: 2,247.0
ERA Leads: 3.20 3.57
WHIP Leads: 1.08 1.21
K/9 Leads: 10.32 4.75
BB/9 2.61 Leads: 2.11

PIV Comparison through 2025

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Corbin Burnes leads Don Newcombe 23,443 to 20,184 — driven by per-season impact — 2,930 PIV per season to 1,442 — rather than by longevity, since Corbin Burnes played 8 seasons to Don Newcombe's 14. 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.

Corbin Burnes
23,443
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,930 per season (8 seasons)
Don Newcombe
20,184
Career Pitcher PIV · 1,442 per season (14 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).

Corbin Burnes — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20212.43 ERA11-5, 234 K in 167 IP
20242.92 ERA15-9, 181 K in 194 IP
20222.94 ERA12-8, 243 K in 202 IP

Don Newcombe — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19563.06 ERA27-7, 139 K in 268 IP
19593.16 ERA13-8, 100 K in 222 IP
19493.17 ERA17-8, 149 K in 244 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Corbin Burnes leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Don Newcombe owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Corbin Burnes. PIV agrees: Corbin Burnes grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

Related Matchups

How the Corbin Burnes and Don Newcombe careers compare

The two careers never overlapped: Don Newcombe's ended in 1960, and Corbin Burnes debuted in 2018. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Corbin Burnes has appeared in 213 games to Don Newcombe's 359. Where Corbin Burnes comes out ahead, it is in ERA (3.20 to 3.57), WHIP (1.08 to 1.21), and strikeouts per nine (10.32 to 4.75). The per-nine rows read 10.32 strikeouts and 2.61 walks for Corbin Burnes, 4.75 and 2.11 for Don Newcombe. Corbin Burnes was mainly a starter (152 starts in 213 games), and Don Newcombe was mainly a starter (305 starts in 359 games). Corbin Burnes's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.

Corbin Burnes vs Don Newcombe: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Corbin Burnes or Don Newcombe?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Don Newcombe leads Corbin Burnes in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
Who had the better ERA?
Corbin Burnes, with 3.20 to Don Newcombe's 3.57.
Who won more games?
Don Newcombe, with 153 to Corbin Burnes's 63.
Who recorded more strikeouts?
Don Newcombe, with 1,185 to Corbin Burnes's 1,122.
Who had the better WHIP?
Corbin Burnes, with 1.08 to Don Newcombe's 1.21.