Hal Newhouser vs Johnny Podres: 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). Hal Newhouser played 1939–1955 as a pitcher; Johnny Podres played 1953–1969 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 Johnny Podres (1953–1969) — breaking in during the 1930s and the 1950s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Hal Newhouser finished with 207 wins and 1,796 strikeouts; Johnny Podres finished with 148 wins and 1,435 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 Johnny Podres's 3.68.
- Who won more games? Hal Newhouser, with 207 to Johnny Podres's 148.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Hal Newhouser, with 1,796 to Johnny Podres's 1,435.
- Who had the better WHIP? Hal Newhouser, with 1.31 to Johnny Podres's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Hal Newhouser, with 2,993.0 to Johnny Podres's 2,265.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Hal Newhouser, with 33 to Johnny Podres's 24.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Hal Newhouser, with 43,492 career Pitcher PIV to Johnny Podres's 10,143.
Hal Newhouser
Johnny Podres
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 1930s and the 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hal Newhouser | Johnny Podres |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 207 | 148 |
| Losses not scored | 150 | 116 |
| Games | Leads: 488 | 440 |
| Games Started | Leads: 374 | 340 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 212 | 77 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 33 | 24 |
| Saves | Leads: 26 | 11 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,796 | 1,435 |
| Walks not scored | 1,249 | 743 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,674 | 2,239 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 137 | 242 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,993.0 | 2,265.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.06 | 3.68 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.31 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | 5.40 | Leads: 5.70 |
| BB/9 | 3.76 | Leads: 2.95 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hal Newhouser outpaces Johnny Podres 43,492 to 10,143 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,558 PIV per season to 634, across 17 seasons to 16. 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).
Hal Newhouser — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Johnny Podres — 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 Johnny Podres owns K/9. 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 Hal Newhouser and Johnny Podres careers compare
The careers of Hal Newhouser (1939–1955) and Johnny Podres (1953–1969) overlapped from 1953 to 1955, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 488 games for Hal Newhouser and 440 for Johnny Podres across 17 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Johnny Podres are strikeouts per nine (5.70 to 5.40) and walks per nine (2.95 to 3.76). By rate, Hal Newhouser struck out 5.40 and walked 3.76 per nine innings; Johnny Podres struck out 5.70 and walked 2.95.
Hal Newhouser vs Johnny Podres: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hal Newhouser or Johnny Podres?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hal Newhouser leads Johnny Podres in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Hal Newhouser, with 3.06 to Johnny Podres's 3.68.
- Who won more games?
- Hal Newhouser, with 207 to Johnny Podres's 148.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Hal Newhouser, with 1,796 to Johnny Podres's 1,435.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Hal Newhouser, with 1.31 to Johnny Podres's 1.32.