Max Fried 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). Max Fried has played 2017–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
Max Fried (2017–present) and Don Newcombe (1949–1960) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1940s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Max Fried has 97 wins and 1,156 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? Max Fried, with 3.01 to Don Newcombe's 3.57.
- Who won more games? Don Newcombe, with 153 to Max Fried's 97.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Don Newcombe, with 1,185 to Max Fried's 1,156.
- Who had the better WHIP? Max Fried, with 1.14 to Don Newcombe's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? Don Newcombe, with 2,247.0 to Max Fried's 1,192.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Don Newcombe, with 24 to Max Fried's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Max Fried, with 26,852 career Pitcher PIV to Don Newcombe's 20,184.
Max Fried
Don Newcombe
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.
Max Fried is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Max Fried | Don Newcombe |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 97 | Leads: 153 |
| Losses not scored | 46 | 96 |
| Games | 220 | Leads: 359 |
| Games Started | 203 | Leads: 305 |
| Complete Games | 6 | Leads: 145 |
| Shutouts | 4 | Leads: 24 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 7 |
| Strikeouts | 1,156 | Leads: 1,185 |
| Walks not scored | 330 | 528 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,026 | 2,185 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 94 | 255 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,192.1 | Leads: 2,247.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.01 | 3.57 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.21 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.73 | 4.75 |
| BB/9 | 2.49 | Leads: 2.11 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Max Fried leads Don Newcombe 26,852 to 20,184 — driven by per-season impact — 2,984 PIV per season to 1,442 — rather than by longevity, since Max Fried played 9 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.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Max Fried — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Don Newcombe — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Max Fried 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 Max Fried. PIV agrees: Max Fried grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Max Fried and Don Newcombe careers compare
No season is shared: Don Newcombe played 1949–1960, Max Fried 2017–present. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Max Fried has appeared in 220 games to Don Newcombe's 359. Where Max Fried comes out ahead, it is in ERA (3.01 to 3.57), WHIP (1.14 to 1.21), and strikeouts per nine (8.73 to 4.75). The per-nine rows read 8.73 strikeouts and 2.49 walks for Max Fried, 4.75 and 2.11 for Don Newcombe. Max Fried was mainly a starter (203 starts in 220 games), and Don Newcombe was mainly a starter (305 starts in 359 games). Complete games (6 to 145) show how differently the two eras used starters. Because Max Fried is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Max Fried vs Don Newcombe: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Max Fried or Don Newcombe?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Don Newcombe leads Max Fried in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Max Fried, with 3.01 to Don Newcombe's 3.57.
- Who won more games?
- Don Newcombe, with 153 to Max Fried's 97.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Don Newcombe, with 1,185 to Max Fried's 1,156.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Max Fried, with 1.14 to Don Newcombe's 1.21.