Tim Hudson vs Derek Lowe: Career Stats Comparison

Tim Hudson has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 statistical categories compared on this page. Tim Hudson played 1999–2015 as a pitcher; Derek Lowe played 1997–2013 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

Tim Hudson (1999–2015) and Derek Lowe (1997–2013) — both came up during the 1990s, so the matchup is a direct one. Tim Hudson compiled 222 wins and 2,080 strikeouts; Derek Lowe put up 176 wins and 1,722 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Quick answer

  • Who had the better ERA? Tim Hudson, with 3.49 to Derek Lowe's 4.03.
  • Who won more games? Tim Hudson, with 222 to Derek Lowe's 176.
  • Who recorded more strikeouts? Tim Hudson, with 2,080 to Derek Lowe's 1,722.
  • Who had the better WHIP? Tim Hudson, with 1.24 to Derek Lowe's 1.33.
  • Who pitched more innings? Tim Hudson, with 3,126 to Derek Lowe's 2,671.
  • Who threw more shutouts? Tim Hudson, with 13 to Derek Lowe's 4.
  • Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tim Hudson, with 40,402 career Pitcher PIV to Derek Lowe's 35,122.
Leads Tim Hudson 10 of 12 awarded categories
Pitcher PIV edge Tim Hudson +5,280
Read the verdict ↓

Tim Hudson

Pitcher · 1999–2015
Wins
222
Losses
133
Strikeouts
2,080
ERA
3.49
WHIP
1.24
IP
3,126
View Tim Hudson's full profile →

Derek Lowe

Pitcher · 1997–2013
Wins
176
Losses
157
Strikeouts
1,722
ERA
4.03
WHIP
1.33
IP
2,671
View Derek Lowe's full profile →

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. 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: compare them with the era in mind, or use the PIV card below, which is.

Tim Hudson vs Derek Lowe: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Tim Hudson Derek Lowe
Wins Leads: 222 176
Losses 133 157
Games 482 Leads: 681
Games Started Leads: 479 377
Complete Games Leads: 26 10
Shutouts Leads: 13 4
Saves 0 Leads: 86
Strikeouts Leads: 2,080 1,722
Walks 917 794
Hits Allowed 2,957 2,759
Home Runs Allowed 248 217
Innings Pitched Leads: 3,126 2,671
ERA Leads: 3.49 4.03
WHIP Leads: 1.24 1.33
K/9 Leads: 5.99 5.80
BB/9 Leads: 2.64 2.68

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tim Hudson leads Derek Lowe 40,402 to 35,122 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,377 vs 1,849 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Tim Hudson
40,402
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,377 per season (17 seasons)
Derek Lowe
35,122
Career Pitcher PIV · 1,849 per season (19 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).

Tim Hudson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20032.70 ERA16-7, 162 K in 240 IP
20102.83 ERA17-9, 139 K in 228 IP
20022.98 ERA15-9, 152 K in 238 IP

Derek Lowe — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20022.58 ERA21-8, 127 K in 219 IP
20083.24 ERA14-11, 147 K in 211 IP
20053.61 ERA12-15, 146 K in 222 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Tim Hudson leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Derek Lowe owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tim Hudson. PIV agrees: Tim Hudson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

Related Matchups

Tim Hudson vs Derek Lowe: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Tim Hudson or Derek Lowe?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Tim Hudson leads Derek Lowe in 10 of 12 categories.
Who had the better ERA?
Tim Hudson, with 3.49 to Derek Lowe's 4.03.
Who won more games?
Tim Hudson, with 222 to Derek Lowe's 176.
Who recorded more strikeouts?
Tim Hudson, with 2,080 to Derek Lowe's 1,722.
Who had the better WHIP?
Tim Hudson, with 1.24 to Derek Lowe's 1.33.

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