Roy Halladay vs Roy Oswalt: Career Stats Comparison
Roy Halladay has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Roy Halladay played 1998–2013 as a pitcher; Roy Oswalt played 2001–2013 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
Roy Halladay (1998–2013) and Roy Oswalt (2001–2013) — they debuted in the 1990s and the 2000s respectively and share 13 seasons. Roy Halladay finished with 203 wins and 2,117 strikeouts; Roy Oswalt finished with 163 wins and 1,852 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Roy Halladay, in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Roy Oswalt, with 3.36 to Roy Halladay's 3.38.
- Who won more games? Roy Halladay, with 203 to Roy Oswalt's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Roy Halladay, with 2,117 to Roy Oswalt's 1,852.
- Who had the better WHIP? Roy Halladay, with 1.18 to Roy Oswalt's 1.21.
- How many innings did each pitch? Roy Halladay 2,749.1, Roy Oswalt 2,245.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Roy Halladay, with 20 to Roy Oswalt's 8.
Roy Halladay
Roy Oswalt
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 | Roy Halladay | Roy Oswalt |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 203 | 163 |
| Losses not scored | 105 | 102 |
| Games not scored | 416 | 365 |
| Games Started not scored | 390 | 341 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 67 | 20 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 20 | 8 |
| Saves not scored | 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,117 | 1,852 |
| Walks not scored | 592 | 520 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,646 | 2,199 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 236 | 197 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,749.1 | 2,245.1 |
| ERA | 3.38 | Leads: 3.36 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.21 |
| K/9 | 6.93 | Leads: 7.42 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.94 | 2.08 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roy Halladay leads Roy Oswalt 66,478 to 55,095 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Roy Halladay played 16 seasons to Roy Oswalt's 13, while Roy Oswalt carries the higher per-season figure (4,238 to 4,155). 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).
Roy Halladay — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Roy Oswalt — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Roy Halladay leads 6 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Roy Oswalt leads 2: ERA and strikeouts per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Roy Halladay. PIV agrees: Roy Halladay grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt careers compare
The careers of Roy Halladay (1998–2013) and Roy Oswalt (2001–2013) overlapped from 2001 to 2013, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 416 games for Roy Halladay and 365 for Roy Oswalt across 16 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Roy Oswalt's edges on the table are ERA (3.36 to 3.38) and strikeouts per nine (7.42 to 6.93). The per-nine rows read 6.93 strikeouts and 1.94 walks for Roy Halladay, 7.42 and 2.08 for Roy Oswalt. Roy Halladay was mainly a starter (390 starts in 416 games), and Roy Oswalt was mainly a starter (341 starts in 365 games).
Roy Halladay vs Roy Oswalt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roy Halladay or Roy Oswalt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roy Halladay leads Roy Oswalt in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Roy Oswalt, with 3.36 to Roy Halladay's 3.38.
- Who won more games?
- Roy Halladay, with 203 to Roy Oswalt's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Roy Halladay, with 2,117 to Roy Oswalt's 1,852.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Roy Halladay, with 1.18 to Roy Oswalt's 1.21.