Vern Law vs Hal Newhouser: Career Stats Comparison
Hal Newhouser 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). Vern Law played 1950–1967 as a pitcher; Hal Newhouser played 1939–1955 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
Vern Law (1950–1967) and Hal Newhouser (1939–1955) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1930s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Vern Law finished with 162 wins and 1,092 strikeouts; Hal Newhouser finished with 207 wins and 1,796 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Hal Newhouser, with 3.06 to Vern Law's 3.77.
- Who won more games? Hal Newhouser, with 207 to Vern Law's 162.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Hal Newhouser, with 1,796 to Vern Law's 1,092.
- Who had the better WHIP? Vern Law, with 1.28 to Hal Newhouser's 1.31.
- Who pitched more innings? Hal Newhouser, with 2,993.0 to Vern Law's 2,672.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Hal Newhouser, with 33 to Vern Law's 28.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Hal Newhouser, with 43,492 career Pitcher PIV to Vern Law's 8,173.
Vern Law
Hal Newhouser
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 1950s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Vern Law | Hal Newhouser |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 162 | Leads: 207 |
| Losses not scored | 147 | 150 |
| Games | 483 | Leads: 488 |
| Games Started | 364 | Leads: 374 |
| Complete Games | 119 | Leads: 212 |
| Shutouts | 28 | Leads: 33 |
| Saves | 13 | Leads: 26 |
| Strikeouts | 1,092 | Leads: 1,796 |
| Walks not scored | 597 | 1,249 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,833 | 2,674 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 268 | 137 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,672.0 | Leads: 2,993.0 |
| ERA | 3.77 | Leads: 3.06 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.28 | 1.31 |
| K/9 | 3.68 | Leads: 5.40 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.01 | 3.76 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hal Newhouser outpaces Vern Law 43,492 to 8,173 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,558 PIV per season to 511, across 17 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).
Vern Law — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Hal Newhouser — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hal Newhouser leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while Vern Law owns WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hal Newhouser. PIV agrees: Hal Newhouser grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Vern Law and Hal Newhouser careers compare
From 1950 through 1955, Vern Law and Hal Newhouser were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 483 games for Vern Law and 488 for Hal Newhouser across 16 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Vern Law comes out ahead, it is in WHIP (1.28 to 1.31) and walks per nine (2.01 to 3.76). The per-nine rows read 3.68 strikeouts and 2.01 walks for Vern Law, 5.40 and 3.76 for Hal Newhouser. Both had the same role: Vern Law was mainly a starter (364 starts in 483 games); Hal Newhouser was mainly a starter (374 starts in 488 games).
Vern Law vs Hal Newhouser: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Vern Law or Hal Newhouser?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hal Newhouser leads Vern Law in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Hal Newhouser, with 3.06 to Vern Law's 3.77.
- Who won more games?
- Hal Newhouser, with 207 to Vern Law's 162.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Hal Newhouser, with 1,796 to Vern Law's 1,092.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Vern Law, with 1.28 to Hal Newhouser's 1.31.