Willie Cornelius vs Hal Newhouser: Career Stats Comparison
Hal Newhouser has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Willie Cornelius played ?–1946 as a pitcher; Hal Newhouser played 1939–1955 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
Willie Cornelius (?–1946) and Hal Newhouser (1939–1955) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Willie Cornelius finished with 54 wins and 537 strikeouts; Hal Newhouser finished with 207 wins and 1,796 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Hal Newhouser, with 3.06 to Willie Cornelius's 4.54.
- Who won more games? Hal Newhouser, with 207 to Willie Cornelius's 54.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Hal Newhouser, with 1,796 to Willie Cornelius's 537.
- Who had the better WHIP? Hal Newhouser, with 1.31 to Willie Cornelius's 1.43.
- Who pitched more innings? Hal Newhouser, with 2,993.0 to Willie Cornelius's 1,003.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Hal Newhouser, with 33 to Willie Cornelius's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Hal Newhouser, with 43,492 career Pitcher PIV to Willie Cornelius's 11,748.
Willie Cornelius
Hal Newhouser
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie Cornelius | Hal Newhouser |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 54 | Leads: 207 |
| Losses not scored | 65 | 150 |
| Games | 177 | Leads: 488 |
| Games Started | 125 | Leads: 374 |
| Complete Games | 65 | Leads: 212 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 33 |
| Saves | 4 | Leads: 26 |
| Strikeouts | 537 | Leads: 1,796 |
| Walks not scored | 379 | 1,249 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,053 | 2,674 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 37 | 137 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,003.1 | Leads: 2,993.0 |
| ERA | 4.54 | Leads: 3.06 |
| WHIP | 1.43 | Leads: 1.31 |
| K/9 | 4.82 | Leads: 5.40 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.40 | 3.76 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hal Newhouser outpaces Willie Cornelius 43,492 to 11,748 — driven by per-season impact — 2,558 PIV per season to 691 — rather than by longevity, since Hal Newhouser played 17 seasons to Willie Cornelius's 17. 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).
Willie Cornelius
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Hal Newhouser — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hal Newhouser leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Willie Cornelius owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hal Newhouser. PIV agrees: Hal Newhouser grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Willie Cornelius and Hal Newhouser careers compare
From 1946 through 1946, Willie Cornelius and Hal Newhouser were in the majors together. Hal Newhouser has the far longer record, 488 games against 177 across 17 and 17 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Willie Cornelius are walks per nine (3.40 to 3.76). By rate, Willie Cornelius struck out 4.82 and walked 3.40 per nine innings; Hal Newhouser struck out 5.40 and walked 3.76. Both had the same role: Willie Cornelius was mainly a starter (125 starts in 177 games); Hal Newhouser was mainly a starter (374 starts in 488 games). The complete-game row, 65 against 212, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games.
Willie Cornelius vs Hal Newhouser: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Cornelius or Hal Newhouser?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hal Newhouser leads Willie Cornelius in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Hal Newhouser, with 3.06 to Willie Cornelius's 4.54.
- Who won more games?
- Hal Newhouser, with 207 to Willie Cornelius's 54.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Hal Newhouser, with 1,796 to Willie Cornelius's 537.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Hal Newhouser, with 1.31 to Willie Cornelius's 1.43.