Lefty Grove vs Carl Hubbell: Career Stats Comparison
Lefty Grove and Carl Hubbell are close to even, splitting the 8 scored categories on this page 4–4 (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Lefty Grove played 1925–1941 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
Lefty Grove (1925–1941) and Carl Hubbell (1928–1943) — both debuted in the 1920s. Lefty Grove finished with 300 wins and 2,266 strikeouts; Carl Hubbell finished with 253 wins and 1,677 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Neither — they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA? Carl Hubbell, with 2.98 to Lefty Grove's 3.06.
- Who won more games? Lefty Grove, with 300 to Carl Hubbell's 253.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to Carl Hubbell's 1,677.
- Who had the better WHIP? Carl Hubbell, with 1.17 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.
- How many innings did each pitch? Lefty Grove 3,940.2, Carl Hubbell 3,590.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Carl Hubbell, with 36 to Lefty Grove's 35.
Lefty Grove
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | Lefty Grove | Carl Hubbell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 300 | 253 |
| Losses not scored | 141 | 154 |
| Games not scored | 616 | 535 |
| Games Started not scored | 457 | 431 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 298 | 260 |
| Shutouts | 35 | Leads: 36 |
| Saves not scored | 55 | 33 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,266 | 1,677 |
| Walks not scored | 1,187 | 725 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,849 | 3,461 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 162 | 227 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,940.2 | 3,590.1 |
| ERA | 3.06 | Leads: 2.98 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | Leads: 1.17 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.18 | 4.20 |
| BB/9 | 2.71 | Leads: 1.82 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lefty Grove outpaces Carl Hubbell 81,321 to 54,753 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,784 PIV per season to 3,422, across 17 seasons to 16. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Lefty Grove — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Carl Hubbell — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Lefty Grove and Carl Hubbell split the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card 4-4. On the raw scoreboard neither has the edge. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Lefty Grove higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lefty Grove and Carl Hubbell careers compare
Lefty Grove and Carl Hubbell were active at the same time between 1928 and 1941. The two careers are close in length, 616 games for Lefty Grove and 535 for Carl Hubbell across 17 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Carl Hubbell's edges on the table are shutouts (36 to 35), ERA (2.98 to 3.06), and WHIP (1.17 to 1.28). The per-nine rows read 5.18 strikeouts and 2.71 walks for Lefty Grove, 4.20 and 1.82 for Carl Hubbell. Lefty Grove was mainly a starter (457 starts in 616 games), and Carl Hubbell was mainly a starter (431 starts in 535 games).
Lefty Grove vs Carl Hubbell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lefty Grove or Carl Hubbell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, neither leads: they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Carl Hubbell, with 2.98 to Lefty Grove's 3.06.
- Who won more games?
- Lefty Grove, with 300 to Carl Hubbell's 253.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to Carl Hubbell's 1,677.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Carl Hubbell, with 1.17 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.