Hal Newhouser vs CC Sabathia: Career Stats Comparison
CC Sabathia has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; CC Sabathia played 2001–2019 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 CC Sabathia (2001–2019) — breaking in during the 1930s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Hal Newhouser finished with 207 wins and 1,796 strikeouts; CC Sabathia finished with 251 wins and 3,093 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 CC Sabathia's 3.74.
- Who won more games? CC Sabathia, with 251 to Hal Newhouser's 207.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? CC Sabathia, with 3,093 to Hal Newhouser's 1,796.
- Who had the better WHIP? CC Sabathia, with 1.26 to Hal Newhouser's 1.31.
- Who pitched more innings? CC Sabathia, with 3,577.1 to Hal Newhouser's 2,993.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Hal Newhouser, with 33 to CC Sabathia's 12.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Hal Newhouser, with 43,492 career Pitcher PIV to CC Sabathia's 43,212.
Hal Newhouser
CC Sabathia
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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hal Newhouser | CC Sabathia |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 207 | Leads: 251 |
| Losses not scored | 150 | 161 |
| Games | 488 | Leads: 561 |
| Games Started | 374 | Leads: 560 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 212 | 38 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 33 | 12 |
| Saves | Leads: 26 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,796 | Leads: 3,093 |
| Walks not scored | 1,249 | 1,099 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,674 | 3,404 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 137 | 382 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,993.0 | Leads: 3,577.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.06 | 3.74 |
| WHIP | 1.31 | Leads: 1.26 |
| K/9 | 5.40 | Leads: 7.78 |
| BB/9 | 3.76 | Leads: 2.76 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hal Newhouser edges CC Sabathia 43,492 to 43,212 — driven by per-season impact — 2,558 PIV per season to 2,161 — rather than by longevity, since Hal Newhouser played 17 seasons to CC Sabathia's 20. 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)
CC Sabathia — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, CC Sabathia leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Hal Newhouser owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to CC Sabathia. Note that PIV actually grades Hal Newhouser ahead, which means CC Sabathia's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Hal Newhouser and CC Sabathia careers compare
No season is shared: Hal Newhouser played 1939–1955, CC Sabathia 2001–2019. The two careers are close in length, 488 games for Hal Newhouser and 561 for CC Sabathia across 17 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Hal Newhouser's edges on the table are complete games (212 to 38), shutouts (33 to 12), and saves (26 to 0). The per-nine rows read 5.40 strikeouts and 3.76 walks for Hal Newhouser, 7.78 and 2.76 for CC Sabathia. Hal Newhouser was mainly a starter (374 starts in 488 games), and CC Sabathia was mainly a starter (560 starts in 561 games).
Hal Newhouser vs CC Sabathia: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hal Newhouser or CC Sabathia?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, CC Sabathia leads Hal Newhouser in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Hal Newhouser, with 3.06 to CC Sabathia's 3.74.
- Who won more games?
- CC Sabathia, with 251 to Hal Newhouser's 207.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- CC Sabathia, with 3,093 to Hal Newhouser's 1,796.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- CC Sabathia, with 1.26 to Hal Newhouser's 1.31.