Willie Foster vs Carl Hubbell: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Hubbell 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). Willie Foster played ?–1937 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
Willie Foster (?–1937) and Carl Hubbell (1928–1943) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Willie Foster finished with 125 wins and 1,062 strikeouts; Carl Hubbell finished with 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? Willie Foster, with 2.66 to Carl Hubbell's 2.98.
- Who won more games? Carl Hubbell, with 253 to Willie Foster's 125.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Carl Hubbell, with 1,677 to Willie Foster's 1,062.
- Who had the better WHIP? Willie Foster, with 1.15 to Carl Hubbell's 1.17.
- Who pitched more innings? Carl Hubbell, with 3,590.1 to Willie Foster's 1,665.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Carl Hubbell, with 36 to Willie Foster's 34.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Carl Hubbell, with 54,753 career Pitcher PIV to Willie Foster's 41,672.
Willie Foster
Carl Hubbell
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 Foster | Carl Hubbell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 125 | Leads: 253 |
| Losses not scored | 60 | 154 |
| Games | 262 | Leads: 535 |
| Games Started | 185 | Leads: 431 |
| Complete Games | 142 | Leads: 260 |
| Shutouts | 34 | Leads: 36 |
| Saves | 14 | Leads: 33 |
| Strikeouts | 1,062 | Leads: 1,677 |
| Walks not scored | 522 | 725 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,397 | 3,461 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 41 | 227 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,665.0 | Leads: 3,590.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.66 | 2.98 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.15 | 1.17 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.74 | 4.20 |
| BB/9 | 2.82 | Leads: 1.82 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Hubbell leads Willie Foster 54,753 to 41,672 — driven by per-season impact — 3,422 PIV per season to 2,193 — rather than by longevity, since Carl Hubbell played 16 seasons to Willie Foster's 19. 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 Foster — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Carl Hubbell — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carl Hubbell leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Willie Foster owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Carl Hubbell. PIV agrees: Carl Hubbell grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Willie Foster and Carl Hubbell careers compare
The careers of Willie Foster (?–1937) and Carl Hubbell (1928–1943) overlapped from 1937 to 1937, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Carl Hubbell has the far longer record, 535 games against 262 across 19 and 16 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Willie Foster are ERA (2.66 to 2.98), WHIP (1.15 to 1.17), and strikeouts per nine (5.74 to 4.20). By rate, Willie Foster struck out 5.74 and walked 2.82 per nine innings; Carl Hubbell struck out 4.20 and walked 1.82. Willie Foster was mainly a starter (185 starts in 262 games), and Carl Hubbell was mainly a starter (431 starts in 535 games).
Willie Foster vs Carl Hubbell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Foster or Carl Hubbell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Hubbell leads Willie Foster in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Willie Foster, with 2.66 to Carl Hubbell's 2.98.
- Who won more games?
- Carl Hubbell, with 253 to Willie Foster's 125.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Carl Hubbell, with 1,677 to Willie Foster's 1,062.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Willie Foster, with 1.15 to Carl Hubbell's 1.17.