Burleigh Grimes vs Carl Hubbell: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Hubbell has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Burleigh Grimes played 1916–1934 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
Burleigh Grimes (1916–1934) and Carl Hubbell (1928–1943) — breaking in during the 1910s and the 1920s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Burleigh Grimes finished with 270 wins and 1,512 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? Carl Hubbell, with 2.98 to Burleigh Grimes's 3.53.
- Who won more games? Burleigh Grimes, with 270 to Carl Hubbell's 253.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Carl Hubbell, with 1,677 to Burleigh Grimes's 1,512.
- Who had the better WHIP? Carl Hubbell, with 1.17 to Burleigh Grimes's 1.37.
- Who pitched more innings? Burleigh Grimes, with 4,180.0 to Carl Hubbell's 3,590.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Carl Hubbell, with 36 to Burleigh Grimes's 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Carl Hubbell, with 54,753 career Pitcher PIV to Burleigh Grimes's 18,821.
Burleigh Grimes
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, and the 1910s and the 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Burleigh Grimes | Carl Hubbell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 270 | 253 |
| Losses not scored | 212 | 154 |
| Games | Leads: 616 | 535 |
| Games Started | Leads: 497 | 431 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 314 | 260 |
| Shutouts | 35 | Leads: 36 |
| Saves | 18 | Leads: 33 |
| Strikeouts | 1,512 | Leads: 1,677 |
| Walks not scored | 1,295 | 725 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,412 | 3,461 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 148 | 227 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,180.0 | 3,590.1 |
| ERA | 3.53 | Leads: 2.98 |
| WHIP | 1.37 | Leads: 1.17 |
| K/9 | 3.26 | Leads: 4.20 |
| BB/9 | 2.79 | Leads: 1.82 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Hubbell outpaces Burleigh Grimes 54,753 to 18,821 — driven by per-season impact — 3,422 PIV per season to 818 — rather than by longevity, since Carl Hubbell played 16 seasons to Burleigh Grimes's 23. 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).
Burleigh Grimes — 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 strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Burleigh Grimes owns wins and innings pitched. 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 Burleigh Grimes and Carl Hubbell careers compare
The careers of Burleigh Grimes (1916–1934) and Carl Hubbell (1928–1943) overlapped from 1928 to 1934, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 616 games for Burleigh Grimes and 535 for Carl Hubbell across 23 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. By rate, Burleigh Grimes struck out 3.26 and walked 2.79 per nine innings; Carl Hubbell struck out 4.20 and walked 1.82. Both had the same role: Burleigh Grimes was mainly a starter (497 starts in 616 games); Carl Hubbell was mainly a starter (431 starts in 535 games). In WHIP, Carl Hubbell's 1.17 beats Burleigh Grimes's 1.37.
Burleigh Grimes vs Carl Hubbell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Burleigh Grimes or Carl Hubbell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Hubbell leads Burleigh Grimes in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Carl Hubbell, with 2.98 to Burleigh Grimes's 3.53.
- Who won more games?
- Burleigh Grimes, with 270 to Carl Hubbell's 253.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Carl Hubbell, with 1,677 to Burleigh Grimes's 1,512.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Carl Hubbell, with 1.17 to Burleigh Grimes's 1.37.