Dutch Leonard vs Hal Newhouser: Career Stats Comparison

Hal Newhouser has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 11 statistical categories compared on this page. Dutch Leonard played 1933–1953 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

Dutch Leonard (1933–1953) and Hal Newhouser (1939–1955) — both came up during the 1930s, so the matchup is a direct one. Dutch Leonard compiled 191 wins and 1,170 strikeouts; Hal Newhouser put up 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 Dutch Leonard's 3.25.
  • Who won more games? Hal Newhouser, with 207 to Dutch Leonard's 191.
  • Who recorded more strikeouts? Hal Newhouser, with 1,796 to Dutch Leonard's 1,170.
  • Who had the better WHIP? Dutch Leonard, with 1.26 to Hal Newhouser's 1.31.
  • Who pitched more innings? Dutch Leonard, with 3,218 to Hal Newhouser's 2,993.
  • Who threw more shutouts? Hal Newhouser, with 33 to Dutch Leonard's 30.
  • Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Dutch Leonard, with 44,834 career Pitcher PIV to Hal Newhouser's 43,492.
Leads Hal Newhouser 6 of 11 awarded categories
Pitcher PIV edge Dutch Leonard +1,342
Read the verdict ↓

Dutch Leonard

Pitcher · 1933–1953
Wins
191
Losses
181
Strikeouts
1,170
ERA
3.25
WHIP
1.26
IP
3,218
View Dutch Leonard's full profile →

Hal Newhouser

Pitcher · 1939–1955
Wins
207
Losses
150
Strikeouts
1,796
ERA
3.06
WHIP
1.31
IP
2,993
View Hal Newhouser'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.

Dutch Leonard vs Hal Newhouser: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Dutch Leonard Hal Newhouser
Wins 191 Leads: 207
Losses 181 150
Games Leads: 640 488
Games Started 374 374
Complete Games 192 Leads: 212
Shutouts 30 Leads: 33
Saves Leads: 44 26
Strikeouts 1,170 Leads: 1,796
Walks 737 1,249
Hits Allowed 3,304 2,674
Home Runs Allowed 158 137
Innings Pitched Leads: 3,218 2,993
ERA 3.25 Leads: 3.06
WHIP Leads: 1.26 1.31
K/9 3.27 Leads: 5.40
BB/9 Leads: 2.06 3.76

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dutch Leonard edges Hal Newhouser 44,834 to 43,492 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,242 vs 2,558 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Dutch Leonard
44,834
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,242 per season (20 seasons)
Hal Newhouser
43,492
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,558 per season (17 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

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

Dutch Leonard — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19452.12 ERA17-7, 96 K in 216 IP
19482.51 ERA12-17, 92 K in 225 IP
19472.68 ERA17-12, 103 K in 235 IP

Hal Newhouser — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19451.81 ERA25-9, 212 K in 313 IP
19461.94 ERA26-9, 275 K in 292 IP
19442.22 ERA29-9, 187 K in 312 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Hal Newhouser leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while Dutch Leonard owns WHIP and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hal Newhouser. Note that PIV actually grades Dutch Leonard ahead, which means Hal Newhouser's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

Related Matchups

Dutch Leonard vs Hal Newhouser: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Dutch Leonard or Hal Newhouser?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Hal Newhouser leads Dutch Leonard in 6 of 11 categories.
Who had the better ERA?
Hal Newhouser, with 3.06 to Dutch Leonard's 3.25.
Who won more games?
Hal Newhouser, with 207 to Dutch Leonard's 191.
Who recorded more strikeouts?
Hal Newhouser, with 1,796 to Dutch Leonard's 1,170.
Who had the better WHIP?
Dutch Leonard, with 1.26 to Hal Newhouser's 1.31.

See These Players in Another Era