Billy O'Dell vs Hoyt Wilhelm: Career Stats Comparison
Billy O'Dell and Hoyt Wilhelm played different roles, so their careers are compared side by side rather than scored against each other. Billy O'Dell played 1954–1967 as a starting pitcher; Hoyt Wilhelm played 1952–1972 as a relief 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
Billy O'Dell (1954–1967) and Hoyt Wilhelm (1952–1972) held different pitching jobs, so this page does not score them category by category. Billy O'Dell worked mainly as a starter, with 199 starts and 105 wins; Hoyt Wilhelm worked mainly in relief, with 1,070 games and 227 saves. Each career is shown below in its own role, with Pitcher PIV as the comparison.
Quick answer
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Hoyt Wilhelm, with 40,894 career Pitcher PIV to Billy O'Dell's 23,766.
- Who won more championships? Hoyt Wilhelm, with 1 World Series title to Billy O'Dell's 0.
Billy O'Dell
Hoyt Wilhelm
Career Stats, Each in His Own Role
Billy O'Dell is shown as a starter and Hoyt Wilhelm as a reliever. Nothing is marked as a category winner, because a starter's totals and a reliever's totals measure different jobs.
Billy O'Dell — Starting Pitcher
| Statistic | Billy O'Dell |
|---|---|
| Wins | 105 |
| Losses | 100 |
| Games | 479 |
| Games Started | 199 |
| Complete Games | 63 |
| Shutouts | 13 |
| Saves | 48 |
| Strikeouts | 1,133 |
| Walks | 556 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,697 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 137 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,817.0 |
| ERA | 3.29 |
| WHIP | 1.24 |
| K/9 | 5.61 |
| BB/9 | 2.75 |
Hoyt Wilhelm — Relief Pitcher
| Statistic | Hoyt Wilhelm |
|---|---|
| Wins | 143 |
| Losses | 122 |
| Games | 1,070 |
| Games Started | 52 |
| Complete Games | 20 |
| Shutouts | 5 |
| Saves | 227 |
| Strikeouts | 1,610 |
| Walks | 778 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,757 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 150 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,254.1 |
| ERA | 2.52 |
| WHIP | 1.12 |
| K/9 | 6.43 |
| BB/9 | 3.11 |
PIV Comparison
Billy O'Dell carries a career Pitcher PIV of 23,766; Hoyt Wilhelm carries a career Pitcher PIV of 40,894. Hoyt Wilhelm is the higher of the two at 40,894 to 23,766. Pitcher PIV scores each season against that season's league and weights it by workload, so a starter's innings add to his total.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings for a starter, 40+ for a reliever).
Billy O'Dell — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Hoyt Wilhelm — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Billy O'Dell and Hoyt Wilhelm: one worked mainly as a starter and the other mainly in relief. On Pitcher PIV, Hoyt Wilhelm is higher, 40,894 to 23,766. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Billy O'Dell and Hoyt Wilhelm careers compare
From 1954 through 1967, Billy O'Dell and Hoyt Wilhelm were in the majors together. Billy O'Dell's pitching card shows 105 wins, a 3.29 ERA and 1,133 strikeouts. As a pitcher, Hoyt Wilhelm went 143-122 with a 2.52 ERA and 1,610 strikeouts. One worked mainly as a starter and the other mainly in relief, so the page keeps their statistics in separate tables and compares them on Pitcher PIV. On the peak-season lists, Billy O'Dell's best year is 1957 at 2.69 ERA and Hoyt Wilhelm's is 1967 at 1.31 ERA; Hoyt Wilhelm has the stronger single season.
Billy O'Dell vs Hoyt Wilhelm: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV?
- Hoyt Wilhelm, with 40,894 career Pitcher PIV to Billy O'Dell's 23,766.
- Who won more championships?
- Hoyt Wilhelm, with 1 World Series title to Billy O'Dell's 0.
- How do Billy O'Dell and Hoyt Wilhelm compare?
- Billy O'Dell played 1954–1967 and Hoyt Wilhelm played 1952–1972; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.