Hal Newhouser vs Preacher Roe: 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; Preacher Roe played 1938–1954 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 Preacher Roe (1938–1954) — both came up during the 1930s, so the matchup is a direct one. Hal Newhouser finished with 207 wins and 1,796 strikeouts; Preacher Roe finished with 127 wins and 956 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 Preacher Roe's 3.43.
- Who won more games? Hal Newhouser, with 207 to Preacher Roe's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Hal Newhouser, with 1,796 to Preacher Roe's 956.
- Who had the better WHIP? Preacher Roe, with 1.26 to Hal Newhouser's 1.31.
- Who pitched more innings? Hal Newhouser, with 2,993.0 to Preacher Roe's 1,914.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Hal Newhouser, with 33 to Preacher Roe's 17.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Hal Newhouser, with 43,492 career Pitcher PIV to Preacher Roe's 10,243.
Hal Newhouser
Preacher Roe
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hal Newhouser | Preacher Roe |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 207 | 127 |
| Losses not scored | 150 | 84 |
| Games | Leads: 488 | 333 |
| Games Started | Leads: 374 | 261 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 212 | 101 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 33 | 17 |
| Saves | Leads: 26 | 10 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,796 | 956 |
| Walks not scored | 1,249 | 504 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,674 | 1,907 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 137 | 199 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,993.0 | 1,914.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.06 | 3.43 |
| WHIP | 1.31 | Leads: 1.26 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.40 | 4.49 |
| BB/9 | 3.76 | Leads: 2.37 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hal Newhouser outpaces Preacher Roe 43,492 to 10,243 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,558 PIV per season to 854, across 17 seasons to 12. 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)
Preacher Roe — 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 Preacher Roe 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 Hal Newhouser and Preacher Roe careers compare
From 1939 through 1954, Hal Newhouser and Preacher Roe were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 488 games for Hal Newhouser and 333 for Preacher Roe across 17 and 12 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Preacher Roe comes out ahead, it is in WHIP (1.26 to 1.31) and walks per nine (2.37 to 3.76). The per-nine rows read 5.40 strikeouts and 3.76 walks for Hal Newhouser, 4.49 and 2.37 for Preacher Roe. Hal Newhouser was mainly a starter (374 starts in 488 games), and Preacher Roe was mainly a starter (261 starts in 333 games). In WHIP, Preacher Roe's 1.26 beats Hal Newhouser's 1.31.
Hal Newhouser vs Preacher Roe: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hal Newhouser or Preacher Roe?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hal Newhouser leads Preacher Roe in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Hal Newhouser, with 3.06 to Preacher Roe's 3.43.
- Who won more games?
- Hal Newhouser, with 207 to Preacher Roe's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Hal Newhouser, with 1,796 to Preacher Roe's 956.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Preacher Roe, with 1.26 to Hal Newhouser's 1.31.