Carl Hubbell vs Corey Kluber: 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). Carl Hubbell played 1928–1943 as a pitcher; Corey Kluber played 2011–2023 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
Carl Hubbell (1928–1943) and Corey Kluber (2011–2023) — breaking in during the 1920s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Carl Hubbell finished with 253 wins and 1,677 strikeouts; Corey Kluber finished with 116 wins and 1,725 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 Corey Kluber's 3.44.
- Who won more games? Carl Hubbell, with 253 to Corey Kluber's 116.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Corey Kluber, with 1,725 to Carl Hubbell's 1,677.
- Who had the better WHIP? Corey Kluber, with 1.13 to Carl Hubbell's 1.17.
- Who pitched more innings? Carl Hubbell, with 3,590.1 to Corey Kluber's 1,641.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Carl Hubbell, with 36 to Corey Kluber's 8.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Carl Hubbell, with 54,753 career Pitcher PIV to Corey Kluber's 36,049.
Carl Hubbell
Corey Kluber
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 1920s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Carl Hubbell | Corey Kluber |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 253 | 116 |
| Losses not scored | 154 | 77 |
| Games | Leads: 535 | 271 |
| Games Started | Leads: 431 | 260 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 260 | 18 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 36 | 8 |
| Saves | Leads: 33 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | 1,677 | Leads: 1,725 |
| Walks not scored | 725 | 368 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,461 | 1,486 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 227 | 177 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,590.1 | 1,641.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.98 | 3.44 |
| WHIP | 1.17 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 4.20 | Leads: 9.46 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.82 | 2.02 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Hubbell outpaces Corey Kluber 54,753 to 36,049 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,422 PIV per season to 2,773, across 16 seasons to 13. 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).
Carl Hubbell — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Corey Kluber — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carl Hubbell leads in wins, ERA, and innings pitched, while Corey Kluber owns strikeouts, 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 Carl Hubbell and Corey Kluber careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Carl Hubbell's ended in 1943, and Corey Kluber debuted in 2011. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Carl Hubbell appeared in 535 games to Corey Kluber's 271. Where Corey Kluber comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts (1,725 to 1,677), WHIP (1.13 to 1.17), and strikeouts per nine (9.46 to 4.20). The per-nine rows read 4.20 strikeouts and 1.82 walks for Carl Hubbell, 9.46 and 2.02 for Corey Kluber. Both had the same role: Carl Hubbell was mainly a starter (431 starts in 535 games); Corey Kluber was mainly a starter (260 starts in 271 games).
Carl Hubbell vs Corey Kluber: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Carl Hubbell or Corey Kluber?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Hubbell leads Corey Kluber in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Carl Hubbell, with 2.98 to Corey Kluber's 3.44.
- Who won more games?
- Carl Hubbell, with 253 to Corey Kluber's 116.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Corey Kluber, with 1,725 to Carl Hubbell's 1,677.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Corey Kluber, with 1.13 to Carl Hubbell's 1.17.