Carl Hubbell vs Bob Lemon: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Hubbell has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Bob Lemon played 1941–1958 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 Bob Lemon (1941–1958) — breaking in during the 1920s and the 1940s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Carl Hubbell finished with 253 wins and 1,677 strikeouts; Bob Lemon finished with 207 wins and 1,277 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 Bob Lemon's 3.23.
- Who won more games? Carl Hubbell, with 253 to Bob Lemon's 207.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Carl Hubbell, with 1,677 to Bob Lemon's 1,277.
- Who had the better WHIP? Carl Hubbell, with 1.17 to Bob Lemon's 1.34.
- Who pitched more innings? Carl Hubbell, with 3,590.1 to Bob Lemon's 2,850.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Carl Hubbell, with 36 to Bob Lemon's 31.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Carl Hubbell, with 54,753 career Pitcher PIV to Bob Lemon's 14,410.
Carl Hubbell
Bob Lemon
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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Carl Hubbell | Bob Lemon |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 253 | 207 |
| Losses not scored | 154 | 128 |
| Games | Leads: 535 | 460 |
| Games Started | Leads: 431 | 350 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 260 | 188 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 36 | 31 |
| Saves | Leads: 33 | 22 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,677 | 1,277 |
| Walks not scored | 725 | 1,251 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,461 | 2,559 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 227 | 181 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,590.1 | 2,850.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.98 | 3.23 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.34 |
| K/9 | Leads: 4.20 | 4.03 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.82 | 3.95 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Hubbell outpaces Bob Lemon 54,753 to 14,410 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,422 PIV per season to 1,108, 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)
Bob Lemon — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carl Hubbell leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Bob Lemon owns no headline categories. 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 Bob Lemon careers compare
From 1941 through 1943, Carl Hubbell and Bob Lemon were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 535 games for Carl Hubbell and 460 for Bob Lemon across 16 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Carl Hubbell leads every scored row of the table. By rate, Carl Hubbell struck out 4.20 and walked 1.82 per nine innings; Bob Lemon struck out 4.03 and walked 3.95. Carl Hubbell was mainly a starter (431 starts in 535 games), and Bob Lemon was mainly a starter (350 starts in 460 games). In WHIP, Carl Hubbell's 1.17 beats Bob Lemon's 1.34.
Carl Hubbell vs Bob Lemon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Carl Hubbell or Bob Lemon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Hubbell leads Bob Lemon in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Carl Hubbell, with 2.98 to Bob Lemon's 3.23.
- Who won more games?
- Carl Hubbell, with 253 to Bob Lemon's 207.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Carl Hubbell, with 1,677 to Bob Lemon's 1,277.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Carl Hubbell, with 1.17 to Bob Lemon's 1.34.