Carl Hubbell vs Hilton Smith: 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; Hilton Smith played ?–1948 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 Hilton Smith (?–1948) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Carl Hubbell finished with 253 wins and 1,677 strikeouts; Hilton Smith finished with 71 wins and 628 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Hilton Smith, with 2.93 to Carl Hubbell's 2.98.
- Who won more games? Carl Hubbell, with 253 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Carl Hubbell, with 1,677 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP? Hilton Smith, with 1.11 to Carl Hubbell's 1.17.
- Who pitched more innings? Carl Hubbell, with 3,590.1 to Hilton Smith's 975.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Carl Hubbell, with 36 to Hilton Smith's 8.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Carl Hubbell, with 54,753 career Pitcher PIV to Hilton Smith's 37,558.
Carl Hubbell
Hilton Smith
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Carl Hubbell | Hilton Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 253 | 71 |
| Losses not scored | 154 | 38 |
| Games | Leads: 535 | 170 |
| Games Started | Leads: 431 | 104 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 260 | 63 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 36 | 8 |
| Saves | Leads: 33 | 16 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,677 | 628 |
| Walks not scored | 725 | 198 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,461 | 883 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 227 | 19 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,590.1 | 975.1 |
| ERA | 2.98 | Leads: 2.93 |
| WHIP | 1.17 | Leads: 1.11 |
| K/9 | 4.20 | Leads: 5.79 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.82 | 1.83 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Hubbell outpaces Hilton Smith 54,753 to 37,558 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,422 PIV per season to 2,504, across 16 seasons to 15. 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)
Hilton Smith — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carl Hubbell leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Hilton Smith owns ERA, 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 Hilton Smith careers compare
Carl Hubbell (1928–1943) was finished before Hilton Smith (?–1948) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 535 games of Carl Hubbell with 170 of Hilton Smith across 16 and 15 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Hilton Smith are ERA (2.93 to 2.98), WHIP (1.11 to 1.17), and strikeouts per nine (5.79 to 4.20). The per-nine rows read 4.20 strikeouts and 1.82 walks for Carl Hubbell, 5.79 and 1.83 for Hilton Smith. Their roles differ: Carl Hubbell was mainly a starter (431 starts in 535 games); Hilton Smith split time between starting and relief (104 starts in 170 games).
Carl Hubbell vs Hilton Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Carl Hubbell or Hilton Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Hubbell leads Hilton Smith in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Hilton Smith, with 2.93 to Carl Hubbell's 2.98.
- Who won more games?
- Carl Hubbell, with 253 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Carl Hubbell, with 1,677 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Hilton Smith, with 1.11 to Carl Hubbell's 1.17.