Hal Newhouser vs Claude Passeau: Career Stats Comparison
Hal Newhouser (1939–1955) and Claude Passeau (1935–1947) — both came up during the 1930s, so the matchup is a direct one. Hal Newhouser compiled 207 wins and 1,796 strikeouts; Claude Passeau put up 162 wins and 1,104 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Hal Newhouser
Claude Passeau
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Hal Newhouser | Claude Passeau |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 207 | 162 |
| Losses | 150 | 150 |
| Games | 488 | 444 |
| Games Started | 374 | 331 |
| Complete Games | 212 | 188 |
| Shutouts | 33 | 26 |
| Saves | 26 | 21 |
| Strikeouts | 1,796 | 1,104 |
| Walks | 1,249 | 728 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,674 | 2,856 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 137 | 105 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,993 | 2,719 |
| ERA | 3.06 | 3.32 |
| WHIP | 1.31 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | 5.40 | 3.65 |
| BB/9 | 3.76 | 2.41 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hal Newhouser leads Claude Passeau 43,492 to 39,598 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,558 vs 2,828 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Hal Newhouser — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Claude Passeau — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hal Newhouser leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Claude Passeau owns no headline categories. 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.