Bob Feller vs Carl Hubbell: Career Stats Comparison

Bob Feller has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 statistical categories compared on this page. Bob Feller played 1936–1956 as a pitcher; Carl Hubbell played 1928–1943 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

Bob Feller (1936–1956) and Carl Hubbell (1928–1943) — breaking in during the 1930s and the 1920s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bob Feller compiled 266 wins and 2,581 strikeouts; Carl Hubbell put up 253 wins and 1,677 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Quick answer

  • Who had the better ERA? Carl Hubbell, with 2.98 to Bob Feller's 3.25.
  • Who won more games? Bob Feller, with 266 to Carl Hubbell's 253.
  • Who recorded more strikeouts? Bob Feller, with 2,581 to Carl Hubbell's 1,677.
  • Who had the better WHIP? Carl Hubbell, with 1.17 to Bob Feller's 1.32.
  • Who pitched more innings? Bob Feller, with 3,827 to Carl Hubbell's 3,590.
  • Who threw more shutouts? Bob Feller, with 44 to Carl Hubbell's 36.
  • Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Carl Hubbell, with 54,753 career Pitcher PIV to Bob Feller's 48,739.
Leads Bob Feller 8 of 12 awarded categories
Pitcher PIV edge Carl Hubbell +6,015
Read the verdict ↓

Bob Feller

Pitcher · 1936–1956
Wins
266
Losses
162
Strikeouts
2,581
ERA
3.25
WHIP
1.32
IP
3,827
View Bob Feller's full profile →

Carl Hubbell

Pitcher · 1928–1943
Wins
253
Losses
154
Strikeouts
1,677
ERA
2.98
WHIP
1.17
IP
3,590
View Carl Hubbell'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. 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: compare them with the era in mind, or use the PIV card below, which is.

Bob Feller vs Carl Hubbell: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Bob Feller Carl Hubbell
Wins Leads: 266 253
Losses 162 154
Games Leads: 570 535
Games Started Leads: 484 431
Complete Games Leads: 279 260
Shutouts Leads: 44 36
Saves 21 Leads: 33
Strikeouts Leads: 2,581 1,677
Walks 1,764 725
Hits Allowed 3,271 3,461
Home Runs Allowed 224 227
Innings Pitched Leads: 3,827 3,590
ERA 3.25 Leads: 2.98
WHIP 1.32 Leads: 1.17
K/9 Leads: 6.07 4.20
BB/9 4.15 Leads: 1.82

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Hubbell leads Bob Feller 54,753 to 48,739 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,422 vs 2,708 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Bob Feller
48,739
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,708 per season (18 seasons)
Carl Hubbell
54,753
Career Pitcher PIV · 3,422 per season (16 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

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

Bob Feller — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19462.18 ERA26-15, 348 K in 371 IP
19402.61 ERA27-11, 261 K in 320 IP
19472.68 ERA20-11, 196 K in 299 IP

Carl Hubbell — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19331.66 ERA23-12, 156 K in 308 IP
19342.30 ERA21-12, 118 K in 313 IP
19362.31 ERA26-6, 123 K in 304 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Bob Feller leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Carl Hubbell owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bob Feller. Note that PIV actually grades Carl Hubbell ahead, which means Bob Feller's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

Related Matchups

Bob Feller vs Carl Hubbell: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Bob Feller or Carl Hubbell?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Bob Feller leads Carl Hubbell in 8 of 12 categories.
Who had the better ERA?
Carl Hubbell, with 2.98 to Bob Feller's 3.25.
Who won more games?
Bob Feller, with 266 to Carl Hubbell's 253.
Who recorded more strikeouts?
Bob Feller, with 2,581 to Carl Hubbell's 1,677.
Who had the better WHIP?
Carl Hubbell, with 1.17 to Bob Feller's 1.32.

See These Players in Another Era