Don Newcombe 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). Don Newcombe played 1949–1960 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
Don Newcombe (1949–1960) and Hal Newhouser (1939–1955) — breaking in during the 1940s and the 1930s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Don Newcombe finished with 153 wins and 1,185 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 Don Newcombe's 3.57.
- Who won more games? Hal Newhouser, with 207 to Don Newcombe's 153.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Hal Newhouser, with 1,796 to Don Newcombe's 1,185.
- Who had the better WHIP? Don Newcombe, with 1.21 to Hal Newhouser's 1.31.
- Who pitched more innings? Hal Newhouser, with 2,993.0 to Don Newcombe's 2,247.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Hal Newhouser, with 33 to Don Newcombe's 24.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Hal Newhouser, with 43,492 career Pitcher PIV to Don Newcombe's 20,184.
Don Newcombe
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 1940s and the 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Don Newcombe | Hal Newhouser |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 153 | Leads: 207 |
| Losses not scored | 96 | 150 |
| Games | 359 | Leads: 488 |
| Games Started | 305 | Leads: 374 |
| Complete Games | 145 | Leads: 212 |
| Shutouts | 24 | Leads: 33 |
| Saves | 7 | Leads: 26 |
| Strikeouts | 1,185 | Leads: 1,796 |
| Walks not scored | 528 | 1,249 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,185 | 2,674 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 255 | 137 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,247.0 | Leads: 2,993.0 |
| ERA | 3.57 | Leads: 3.06 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.21 | 1.31 |
| K/9 | 4.75 | Leads: 5.40 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.11 | 3.76 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hal Newhouser outpaces Don Newcombe 43,492 to 20,184 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,558 PIV per season to 1,442, across 17 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).
Don Newcombe — 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 Don Newcombe 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 Don Newcombe and Hal Newhouser careers compare
Don Newcombe and Hal Newhouser were active at the same time between 1949 and 1955. The two careers are close in length, 359 games for Don Newcombe and 488 for Hal Newhouser across 14 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Don Newcombe comes out ahead, it is in WHIP (1.21 to 1.31) and walks per nine (2.11 to 3.76). The per-nine rows read 4.75 strikeouts and 2.11 walks for Don Newcombe, 5.40 and 3.76 for Hal Newhouser. Both had the same role: Don Newcombe was mainly a starter (305 starts in 359 games); Hal Newhouser was mainly a starter (374 starts in 488 games).
Don Newcombe vs Hal Newhouser: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Don Newcombe or Hal Newhouser?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hal Newhouser leads Don Newcombe in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Hal Newhouser, with 3.06 to Don Newcombe's 3.57.
- Who won more games?
- Hal Newhouser, with 207 to Don Newcombe's 153.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Hal Newhouser, with 1,796 to Don Newcombe's 1,185.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Don Newcombe, with 1.21 to Hal Newhouser's 1.31.