Carl Hubbell vs Joe Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Carl Hubbell has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Joe Williams played ?–1932 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 Joe Williams (?–1932) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Carl Hubbell finished with 253 wins and 1,677 strikeouts; Joe Williams finished with 109 wins and 1,033 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Joe Williams, with 2.57 to Carl Hubbell's 2.98.
- Who won more games? Carl Hubbell, with 253 to Joe Williams's 109.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Carl Hubbell, with 1,677 to Joe Williams's 1,033.
- Who had the better WHIP? Carl Hubbell, with 1.17 to Joe Williams's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Carl Hubbell, with 3,590.1 to Joe Williams's 1,517.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Carl Hubbell, with 36 to Joe Williams's 14.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Carl Hubbell, with 54,753 career Pitcher PIV to Joe Williams's 44,974.
Carl Hubbell
Joe Williams
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 | Joe Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 253 | 109 |
| Losses not scored | 154 | 59 |
| Games | Leads: 535 | 207 |
| Games Started | Leads: 431 | 172 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 260 | 140 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 36 | 14 |
| Saves | Leads: 33 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,677 | 1,033 |
| Walks not scored | 725 | 339 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,461 | 1,456 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 227 | 26 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,590.1 | 1,517.0 |
| ERA | 2.98 | Leads: 2.57 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | 4.20 | Leads: 6.13 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.82 | 2.01 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Hubbell leads Joe Williams 54,753 to 44,974 — driven by per-season impact — 3,422 PIV per season to 2,142 — rather than by longevity, since Carl Hubbell played 16 seasons to Joe Williams's 21. 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)
Joe Williams — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Carl Hubbell leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Joe Williams owns ERA 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 Joe Williams careers compare
The careers of Carl Hubbell (1928–1943) and Joe Williams (?–1932) overlapped from 1932 to 1932, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Carl Hubbell has the far longer record, 535 games against 207 across 16 and 21 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Joe Williams's edges on the table are ERA (2.57 to 2.98) and strikeouts per nine (6.13 to 4.20). The per-nine rows read 4.20 strikeouts and 1.82 walks for Carl Hubbell, 6.13 and 2.01 for Joe Williams. Carl Hubbell was mainly a starter (431 starts in 535 games), and Joe Williams was mainly a starter (172 starts in 207 games). In WHIP, Carl Hubbell's 1.17 beats Joe Williams's 1.18.
Carl Hubbell vs Joe Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Carl Hubbell or Joe Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Carl Hubbell leads Joe Williams in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Joe Williams, with 2.57 to Carl Hubbell's 2.98.
- Who won more games?
- Carl Hubbell, with 253 to Joe Williams's 109.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Carl Hubbell, with 1,677 to Joe Williams's 1,033.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Carl Hubbell, with 1.17 to Joe Williams's 1.18.