Pedro Martinez vs Don Newcombe: Career Stats Comparison
Pedro Martinez 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). Pedro Martinez played 1992–2009 as a pitcher; Don Newcombe played 1949–1960 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
Pedro Martinez (1992–2009) and Don Newcombe (1949–1960) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 1940s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Pedro Martinez finished with 219 wins and 3,154 strikeouts; Don Newcombe finished with 153 wins and 1,185 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Pedro Martinez, with 2.93 to Don Newcombe's 3.57.
- Who won more games? Pedro Martinez, with 219 to Don Newcombe's 153.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Pedro Martinez, with 3,154 to Don Newcombe's 1,185.
- Who had the better WHIP? Pedro Martinez, with 1.05 to Don Newcombe's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? Pedro Martinez, with 2,827.1 to Don Newcombe's 2,247.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Don Newcombe, with 24 to Pedro Martinez's 17.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Pedro Martinez, with 113,314 career Pitcher PIV to Don Newcombe's 20,184.
Pedro Martinez
Don Newcombe
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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Pedro Martinez | Don Newcombe |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 219 | 153 |
| Losses not scored | 100 | 96 |
| Games | Leads: 476 | 359 |
| Games Started | Leads: 409 | 305 |
| Complete Games | 46 | Leads: 145 |
| Shutouts | 17 | Leads: 24 |
| Saves | 3 | Leads: 7 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,154 | 1,185 |
| Walks not scored | 760 | 528 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,221 | 2,185 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 239 | 255 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,827.1 | 2,247.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.93 | 3.57 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.05 | 1.21 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.04 | 4.75 |
| BB/9 | 2.42 | Leads: 2.11 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pedro Martinez outpaces Don Newcombe 113,314 to 20,184 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,295 PIV per season to 1,442, across 18 seasons to 14. 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).
Pedro Martinez — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Don Newcombe — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pedro Martinez leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Don Newcombe owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pedro Martinez. PIV agrees: Pedro Martinez grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Pedro Martinez and Don Newcombe careers compare
No season is shared: Don Newcombe played 1949–1960, Pedro Martinez 1992–2009. The two careers are close in length, 476 games for Pedro Martinez and 359 for Don Newcombe across 18 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Don Newcombe comes out ahead, it is in complete games (145 to 46), shutouts (24 to 17), and saves (7 to 3). By rate, Pedro Martinez struck out 10.04 and walked 2.42 per nine innings; Don Newcombe struck out 4.75 and walked 2.11. Both had the same role: Pedro Martinez was mainly a starter (409 starts in 476 games); Don Newcombe was mainly a starter (305 starts in 359 games).
Pedro Martinez vs Don Newcombe: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Pedro Martinez or Don Newcombe?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pedro Martinez leads Don Newcombe in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Pedro Martinez, with 2.93 to Don Newcombe's 3.57.
- Who won more games?
- Pedro Martinez, with 219 to Don Newcombe's 153.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Pedro Martinez, with 3,154 to Don Newcombe's 1,185.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Pedro Martinez, with 1.05 to Don Newcombe's 1.21.