Hal Newhouser vs Billy Pierce: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Pierce has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Hal Newhouser played 1939–1955 as a pitcher; Billy Pierce played 1945–1964 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
Hal Newhouser (1939–1955) and Billy Pierce (1945–1964) — they debuted in the 1930s and the 1940s respectively and share 11 seasons. Hal Newhouser finished with 207 wins and 1,796 strikeouts; Billy Pierce finished with 211 wins and 1,999 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Billy Pierce, in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Hal Newhouser, with 3.06 to Billy Pierce's 3.27.
- Who won more games? Billy Pierce, with 211 to Hal Newhouser's 207.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Billy Pierce, with 1,999 to Hal Newhouser's 1,796.
- Who had the better WHIP? Billy Pierce, with 1.26 to Hal Newhouser's 1.31.
- How many innings did each pitch? Hal Newhouser 2,993.0, Billy Pierce 3,306.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Billy Pierce, with 38 to Hal Newhouser's 33.
Hal Newhouser
Billy Pierce
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hal Newhouser | Billy Pierce |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 207 | Leads: 211 |
| Losses not scored | 150 | 169 |
| Games not scored | 488 | 585 |
| Games Started not scored | 374 | 432 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 212 | 193 |
| Shutouts | 33 | Leads: 38 |
| Saves not scored | 26 | 32 |
| Strikeouts | 1,796 | Leads: 1,999 |
| Walks not scored | 1,249 | 1,178 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,674 | 2,989 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 137 | 284 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,993.0 | 3,306.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.06 | 3.27 |
| WHIP | 1.31 | Leads: 1.26 |
| K/9 | 5.40 | Leads: 5.44 |
| BB/9 | 3.76 | Leads: 3.21 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hal Newhouser leads Billy Pierce 43,492 to 39,435 — driven by per-season impact — 2,558 PIV per season to 2,191 — rather than by longevity, since Hal Newhouser played 17 seasons to Billy Pierce's 18. 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)
Billy Pierce — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Billy Pierce leads 6 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, shutouts, strikeouts, WHIP, and others. Hal Newhouser leads 2: complete games and ERA. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Billy Pierce. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Hal Newhouser higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Hal Newhouser and Billy Pierce careers compare
The careers of Hal Newhouser (1939–1955) and Billy Pierce (1945–1964) overlapped from 1945 to 1955, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 488 games against 585 across 17 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Hal Newhouser's edges on the table are complete games (212 to 193) and ERA (3.06 to 3.27). By rate, Hal Newhouser struck out 5.40 and walked 3.76 per nine innings; Billy Pierce struck out 5.44 and walked 3.21. Both had the same role: Hal Newhouser was mainly a starter (374 starts in 488 games); Billy Pierce was mainly a starter (432 starts in 585 games).
Hal Newhouser vs Billy Pierce: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hal Newhouser or Billy Pierce?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Pierce leads Hal Newhouser in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Hal Newhouser, with 3.06 to Billy Pierce's 3.27.
- Who won more games?
- Billy Pierce, with 211 to Hal Newhouser's 207.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Billy Pierce, with 1,999 to Hal Newhouser's 1,796.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Billy Pierce, with 1.26 to Hal Newhouser's 1.31.