Hoyt Wilhelm vs Wilbur Wood: Career Stats Comparison
Hoyt Wilhelm and Wilbur Wood are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Hoyt Wilhelm played 1952–1972 as a pitcher; Wilbur Wood played 1961–1978 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
Hoyt Wilhelm (1952–1972) and Wilbur Wood (1961–1978) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Hoyt Wilhelm finished with 143 wins and 1,610 strikeouts; Wilbur Wood finished with 164 wins and 1,411 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Hoyt Wilhelm, with 2.52 to Wilbur Wood's 3.24.
- Who won more games? Wilbur Wood, with 164 to Hoyt Wilhelm's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Hoyt Wilhelm, with 1,610 to Wilbur Wood's 1,411.
- Who had the better WHIP? Hoyt Wilhelm, with 1.12 to Wilbur Wood's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Wilbur Wood, with 2,684.0 to Hoyt Wilhelm's 2,254.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Wilbur Wood, with 24 to Hoyt Wilhelm's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Hoyt Wilhelm, with 40,894 career Pitcher PIV to Wilbur Wood's 13,866.
Hoyt Wilhelm
Wilbur Wood
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 1950s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hoyt Wilhelm | Wilbur Wood |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 143 | Leads: 164 |
| Losses not scored | 122 | 156 |
| Games | Leads: 1,070 | 651 |
| Games Started | 52 | Leads: 297 |
| Complete Games | 20 | Leads: 114 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 24 |
| Saves | Leads: 227 | 57 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,610 | 1,411 |
| Walks not scored | 778 | 724 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,757 | 2,582 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 150 | 209 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,254.1 | Leads: 2,684.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.52 | 3.24 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.12 | 1.23 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.43 | 4.73 |
| BB/9 | 3.11 | Leads: 2.43 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hoyt Wilhelm outpaces Wilbur Wood 40,894 to 13,866 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,573 PIV per season to 770, across 26 seasons to 18. 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).
Hoyt Wilhelm — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Wilbur Wood — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hoyt Wilhelm leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Wilbur Wood owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hoyt Wilhelm. PIV agrees: Hoyt Wilhelm grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Hoyt Wilhelm and Wilbur Wood careers compare
Hoyt Wilhelm and Wilbur Wood were active at the same time between 1961 and 1972. The table compares 1,070 games of Hoyt Wilhelm with 651 of Wilbur Wood across 26 and 18 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The per-nine rows read 6.43 strikeouts and 3.11 walks for Hoyt Wilhelm, 4.73 and 2.43 for Wilbur Wood. Their roles differ: Hoyt Wilhelm worked mostly in relief (52 starts in 1,070 games, 227 saves); Wilbur Wood split time between starting and relief (297 starts in 651 games). Complete games (20 to 114) show how differently the two eras used starters. Hoyt Wilhelm allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.12 WHIP to Wilbur Wood's 1.23.
Hoyt Wilhelm vs Wilbur Wood: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Hoyt Wilhelm, with 2.52 to Wilbur Wood's 3.24.
- Who won more games?
- Wilbur Wood, with 164 to Hoyt Wilhelm's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Hoyt Wilhelm, with 1,610 to Wilbur Wood's 1,411.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Hoyt Wilhelm, with 1.12 to Wilbur Wood's 1.23.