Willie Foster vs Waite Hoyt: Career Stats Comparison

Willie Foster (?–1938) and Waite Hoyt (1918–1938) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Willie Foster compiled 125 wins and 1,062 strikeouts; Waite Hoyt put up 237 wins and 1,206 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Willie Foster

Pitcher · ?–1938
Wins
125
Losses
60
Strikeouts
1,062
ERA
2.66
WHIP
1.15
IP
1,665
View Willie Foster's full profile →

Waite Hoyt

Pitcher · 1918–1938
Wins
237
Losses
182
Strikeouts
1,206
ERA
3.59
WHIP
1.34
IP
3,762
View Waite Hoyt'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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.

Statistic Willie Foster Waite Hoyt
Wins 125 237
Losses 60 182
Games 262 674
Games Started 185 423
Complete Games 142 226
Shutouts 34 26
Saves 14 52
Strikeouts 1,062 1,206
Walks 522 1,003
Hits Allowed 1,397 4,037
Home Runs Allowed 41 154
Innings Pitched 1,665 3,762
ERA 2.66 3.59
WHIP 1.15 1.34
K/9 5.74 2.88
BB/9 2.82 2.40

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Foster outpaces Waite Hoyt 41,672 to 27,173 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,193 vs 1,087 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Willie Foster
41,672
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,193 per season (19 seasons)
Waite Hoyt
27,173
Career Pitcher PIV · 1,087 per season (25 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

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

Willie Foster — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19261.80 ERA13-4, 111 K in 174 IP
19272.25 ERA20-5, 121 K in 207 IP
19302.89 ERA11-8, 132 K in 159 IP

Waite Hoyt — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19272.63 ERA22-7, 86 K in 256 IP
19342.93 ERA15-6, 105 K in 190 IP
19233.02 ERA17-9, 60 K in 238 IP

Verdict

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

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