Carl Hubbell vs CC Sabathia: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Hubbell has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; CC Sabathia played 2001–2019 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 CC Sabathia (2001–2019) — breaking in during the 1920s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Carl Hubbell finished with 253 wins and 1,677 strikeouts; CC Sabathia finished with 251 wins and 3,093 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 CC Sabathia's 3.74.
- Who won more games? Carl Hubbell, with 253 to CC Sabathia's 251.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? CC Sabathia, with 3,093 to Carl Hubbell's 1,677.
- Who had the better WHIP? Carl Hubbell, with 1.17 to CC Sabathia's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Carl Hubbell, with 3,590.1 to CC Sabathia's 3,577.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Carl Hubbell, with 36 to CC Sabathia's 12.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Carl Hubbell, with 54,753 career Pitcher PIV to CC Sabathia's 43,212.
Carl Hubbell
CC Sabathia
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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Carl Hubbell | CC Sabathia |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 253 | 251 |
| Losses not scored | 154 | 161 |
| Games | 535 | Leads: 561 |
| Games Started | 431 | Leads: 560 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 260 | 38 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 36 | 12 |
| Saves | Leads: 33 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,677 | Leads: 3,093 |
| Walks not scored | 725 | 1,099 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,461 | 3,404 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 227 | 382 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,590.1 | 3,577.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.98 | 3.74 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | 4.20 | Leads: 7.78 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.82 | 2.76 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Hubbell leads CC Sabathia 54,753 to 43,212 — driven by per-season impact — 3,422 PIV per season to 2,161 — rather than by longevity, since Carl Hubbell played 16 seasons to CC Sabathia's 20. 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)
CC Sabathia — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carl Hubbell leads in wins, ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while CC Sabathia owns strikeouts 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 CC Sabathia careers compare
Carl Hubbell (1928–1943) was finished before CC Sabathia (2001–2019) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 535 games for Carl Hubbell and 561 for CC Sabathia across 16 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where CC Sabathia comes out ahead, it is in games (561 to 535), starts (560 to 431), and strikeouts (3,093 to 1,677). The per-nine rows read 4.20 strikeouts and 1.82 walks for Carl Hubbell, 7.78 and 2.76 for CC Sabathia. Both had the same role: Carl Hubbell was mainly a starter (431 starts in 535 games); CC Sabathia was mainly a starter (560 starts in 561 games).
Carl Hubbell vs CC Sabathia: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Carl Hubbell or CC Sabathia?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Hubbell leads CC Sabathia in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Carl Hubbell, with 2.98 to CC Sabathia's 3.74.
- Who won more games?
- Carl Hubbell, with 253 to CC Sabathia's 251.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- CC Sabathia, with 3,093 to Carl Hubbell's 1,677.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Carl Hubbell, with 1.17 to CC Sabathia's 1.26.