Carl Hubbell vs John Smoltz: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Hubbell 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; John Smoltz played 1988–2009 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 John Smoltz (1988–2009) — breaking in during the 1920s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Carl Hubbell finished with 253 wins and 1,677 strikeouts; John Smoltz finished with 213 wins and 3,084 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 John Smoltz's 3.33.
- Who won more games? Carl Hubbell, with 253 to John Smoltz's 213.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? John Smoltz, with 3,084 to Carl Hubbell's 1,677.
- Who had the better WHIP? Carl Hubbell, with 1.17 to John Smoltz's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Carl Hubbell, with 3,590.1 to John Smoltz's 3,473.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Carl Hubbell, with 36 to John Smoltz's 16.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? John Smoltz, with 91,907 career Pitcher PIV to Carl Hubbell's 54,753.
Carl Hubbell
John Smoltz
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 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Carl Hubbell | John Smoltz |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 253 | 213 |
| Losses not scored | 154 | 155 |
| Games | 535 | Leads: 723 |
| Games Started | 431 | Leads: 481 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 260 | 53 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 36 | 16 |
| Saves | 33 | Leads: 154 |
| Strikeouts | 1,677 | Leads: 3,084 |
| Walks not scored | 725 | 1,010 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,461 | 3,074 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 227 | 288 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,590.1 | 3,473.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.98 | 3.33 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | 4.20 | Leads: 7.99 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.82 | 2.62 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Smoltz outpaces Carl Hubbell 91,907 to 54,753 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,178 PIV per season to 3,422, across 22 seasons to 16. 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)
John Smoltz — 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 John Smoltz owns strikeouts and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Carl Hubbell. Note that PIV actually grades John Smoltz ahead, which means Carl Hubbell's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Carl Hubbell and John Smoltz careers compare
No season is shared: Carl Hubbell played 1928–1943, John Smoltz 1988–2009. The two careers are close in length, 535 games for Carl Hubbell and 723 for John Smoltz across 16 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 4.20 strikeouts and 1.82 walks for Carl Hubbell, 7.99 and 2.62 for John Smoltz. Carl Hubbell was mainly a starter (431 starts in 535 games), while John Smoltz split time between starting and relief (481 starts in 723 games). Complete games (260 to 53) show how differently the two eras used starters. Carl Hubbell allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.17 WHIP to John Smoltz's 1.18.
Carl Hubbell vs John Smoltz: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Carl Hubbell or John Smoltz?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Hubbell leads John Smoltz in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Carl Hubbell, with 2.98 to John Smoltz's 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- Carl Hubbell, with 253 to John Smoltz's 213.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- John Smoltz, with 3,084 to Carl Hubbell's 1,677.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Carl Hubbell, with 1.17 to John Smoltz's 1.18.