Carl Hubbell vs Ed Walsh: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Hubbell and Ed Walsh are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Carl Hubbell played 1928–1943 as a pitcher; Ed Walsh played 1904–1917 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 Ed Walsh (1904–1917) — breaking in during the 1920s and the 1900s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Carl Hubbell finished with 253 wins and 1,677 strikeouts; Ed Walsh finished with 195 wins and 1,736 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Carl Hubbell's 2.98.
- Who won more games? Carl Hubbell, with 253 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Ed Walsh, with 1,736 to Carl Hubbell's 1,677.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Carl Hubbell's 1.17.
- Who pitched more innings? Carl Hubbell, with 3,590.1 to Ed Walsh's 2,964.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Ed Walsh, with 57 to Carl Hubbell's 36.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Ed Walsh, with 62,631 career Pitcher PIV to Carl Hubbell's 54,753.
Carl Hubbell
Ed Walsh
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 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Carl Hubbell | Ed Walsh |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 253 | 195 |
| Losses not scored | 154 | 126 |
| Games | Leads: 535 | 430 |
| Games Started | Leads: 431 | 315 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 260 | 250 |
| Shutouts | 36 | Leads: 57 |
| Saves | 33 | Leads: 35 |
| Strikeouts | 1,677 | Leads: 1,736 |
| Walks not scored | 725 | 617 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,461 | 2,346 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 227 | 23 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,590.1 | 2,964.1 |
| ERA | 2.98 | Leads: 1.82 |
| WHIP | 1.17 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | 4.20 | Leads: 5.27 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.82 | 1.87 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ed Walsh leads Carl Hubbell 62,631 to 54,753 — driven by per-season impact — 4,474 PIV per season to 3,422 — rather than by longevity, since Ed Walsh played 14 seasons to Carl Hubbell's 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)
Ed Walsh — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ed Walsh leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Carl Hubbell owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ed Walsh. PIV agrees: Ed Walsh 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 Ed Walsh careers compare
Ed Walsh (1904–1917) was finished before Carl Hubbell (1928–1943) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 535 games for Carl Hubbell and 430 for Ed Walsh across 16 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. By rate, Carl Hubbell struck out 4.20 and walked 1.82 per nine innings; Ed Walsh struck out 5.27 and walked 1.87. Both had the same role: Carl Hubbell was mainly a starter (431 starts in 535 games); Ed Walsh was mainly a starter (315 starts in 430 games). Ed Walsh allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.00 WHIP to Carl Hubbell's 1.17.
Carl Hubbell vs Ed Walsh: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Carl Hubbell's 2.98.
- Who won more games?
- Carl Hubbell, with 253 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Ed Walsh, with 1,736 to Carl Hubbell's 1,677.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Carl Hubbell's 1.17.