Tim Hudson vs Max Scherzer: Career Stats Comparison

Max Scherzer has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Tim Hudson played 1999–2015 as a pitcher; Max Scherzer has played 2008–present 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 Max Scherzer (2008–present) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Tim Hudson finished with 222 wins and 2,080 strikeouts; Max Scherzer has 225 wins and 3,557 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Quick answer

  • Who had the better ERA? Max Scherzer, with 3.29 to Tim Hudson's 3.49.
  • Who won more games? Max Scherzer, with 225 to Tim Hudson's 222.
  • Who recorded more strikeouts? Max Scherzer, with 3,557 to Tim Hudson's 2,080.
  • Who had the better WHIP? Max Scherzer, with 1.09 to Tim Hudson's 1.24.
  • Who pitched more innings? Tim Hudson, with 3,126.2 to Max Scherzer's 3,047.2.
  • Who threw more shutouts? Tim Hudson, with 13 to Max Scherzer's 5.
  • Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Max Scherzer, with 68,491 career Pitcher PIV to Tim Hudson's 40,402.
Leads Max Scherzer 8 of 12 scored categories (1 tied)
Pitcher PIV edge Max Scherzer +28,089
Read the verdict ↓

Tim Hudson

Pitcher · 1999–2015
Wins
222
Losses
133
Strikeouts
2,080
ERA
3.49
WHIP
1.24
IP
3,126.2
View Tim Hudson's full profile →

Max Scherzer

Pitcher · 2008–present
Wins
225
Losses
126
Strikeouts
3,557
ERA
3.29
WHIP
1.09
IP
3,047.2
View Max Scherzer'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. 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 1990s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.

Max Scherzer is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.

Tim Hudson vs Max Scherzer: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Tim Hudson Max Scherzer
Wins 222 Leads: 225
Losses not scored 133 126
Games 482 Leads: 501
Games Started 479 Leads: 492
Complete Games Leads: 26 12
Shutouts Leads: 13 5
Saves 0 0
Strikeouts 2,080 Leads: 3,557
Walks not scored 917 814
Hits Allowed not scored 2,957 2,511
Home Runs Allowed not scored 248 369
Innings Pitched Leads: 3,126.2 3,047.2
ERA 3.49 Leads: 3.29
WHIP 1.24 Leads: 1.09
K/9 5.99 Leads: 10.50
BB/9 2.64 Leads: 2.40

PIV Comparison through 2025

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Max Scherzer outpaces Tim Hudson 68,491 to 40,402 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,425 PIV per season to 2,377, across 20 seasons to 17. 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.

Tim Hudson
40,402
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,377 per season (17 seasons)
Max Scherzer
68,491
Career Pitcher PIV · 3,425 per season (20 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

Max Scherzer — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20222.29 ERA11-5, 173 K in 145 IP
20172.51 ERA16-6, 268 K in 200 IP
20182.53 ERA18-7, 300 K in 220 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Max Scherzer leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Tim Hudson owns innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Max Scherzer. PIV agrees: Max Scherzer grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

Related Matchups

How the Tim Hudson and Max Scherzer careers compare

Tim Hudson and Max Scherzer were active at the same time between 2008 and 2015. The two careers are close in length, 482 games for Tim Hudson and 501 for Max Scherzer across 17 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Tim Hudson are complete games (26 to 12), shutouts (13 to 5), and innings (3,126.2 to 3,047.2). The per-nine rows read 5.99 strikeouts and 2.64 walks for Tim Hudson, 10.50 and 2.40 for Max Scherzer. Both had the same role: Tim Hudson was mainly a starter (479 starts in 482 games); Max Scherzer was mainly a starter (492 starts in 501 games). Because Max Scherzer is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.

Tim Hudson vs Max Scherzer: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Tim Hudson or Max Scherzer?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Max Scherzer leads Tim Hudson in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
Who had the better ERA?
Max Scherzer, with 3.29 to Tim Hudson's 3.49.
Who won more games?
Max Scherzer, with 225 to Tim Hudson's 222.
Who recorded more strikeouts?
Max Scherzer, with 3,557 to Tim Hudson's 2,080.
Who had the better WHIP?
Max Scherzer, with 1.09 to Tim Hudson's 1.24.

See These Players in Another Era