Carl Hubbell vs Phil Niekro: Career Stats Comparison
Phil Niekro 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). Carl Hubbell played 1928–1943 as a pitcher; Phil Niekro played 1964–1987 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 Phil Niekro (1964–1987) — breaking in during the 1920s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Carl Hubbell finished with 253 wins and 1,677 strikeouts; Phil Niekro finished with 318 wins and 3,342 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 Phil Niekro's 3.35.
- Who won more games? Phil Niekro, with 318 to Carl Hubbell's 253.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Phil Niekro, with 3,342 to Carl Hubbell's 1,677.
- Who had the better WHIP? Carl Hubbell, with 1.17 to Phil Niekro's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Phil Niekro, with 5,404.1 to Carl Hubbell's 3,590.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Phil Niekro, with 45 to Carl Hubbell's 36.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Carl Hubbell, with 54,753 career Pitcher PIV to Phil Niekro's 13,102.
Carl Hubbell
Phil Niekro
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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Carl Hubbell | Phil Niekro |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 253 | Leads: 318 |
| Losses not scored | 154 | 274 |
| Games | 535 | Leads: 864 |
| Games Started | 431 | Leads: 716 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 260 | 245 |
| Shutouts | 36 | Leads: 45 |
| Saves | Leads: 33 | 29 |
| Strikeouts | 1,677 | Leads: 3,342 |
| Walks not scored | 725 | 1,809 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,461 | 5,044 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 227 | 482 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,590.1 | Leads: 5,404.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.98 | 3.35 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | 4.20 | Leads: 5.57 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.82 | 3.01 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Hubbell outpaces Phil Niekro 54,753 to 13,102 — driven by per-season impact — 3,422 PIV per season to 504 — rather than by longevity, since Carl Hubbell played 16 seasons to Phil Niekro's 26. 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)
Phil Niekro — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Phil Niekro leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Carl Hubbell owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Phil Niekro. Note that PIV actually grades Carl Hubbell ahead, which means Phil Niekro's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Carl Hubbell and Phil Niekro careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Carl Hubbell's ended in 1943, and Phil Niekro debuted in 1964. Phil Niekro has the far longer record, 864 games against 535 across 16 and 26 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The per-nine rows read 4.20 strikeouts and 1.82 walks for Carl Hubbell, 5.57 and 3.01 for Phil Niekro. Carl Hubbell was mainly a starter (431 starts in 535 games), and Phil Niekro was mainly a starter (716 starts in 864 games). Carl Hubbell allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.17 WHIP to Phil Niekro's 1.27. Carl Hubbell owns the better peak by ERA: 1.66 ERA in 1933 for Carl Hubbell against 1.87 ERA in 1967 for Phil Niekro.
Carl Hubbell vs Phil Niekro: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Carl Hubbell or Phil Niekro?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Phil Niekro leads Carl Hubbell in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Carl Hubbell, with 2.98 to Phil Niekro's 3.35.
- Who won more games?
- Phil Niekro, with 318 to Carl Hubbell's 253.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Phil Niekro, with 3,342 to Carl Hubbell's 1,677.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Carl Hubbell, with 1.17 to Phil Niekro's 1.27.