Vida Blue vs Steve Carlton: Career Stats Comparison
Vida Blue (1969–1986) and Steve Carlton (1965–1988) — both came up during the 1960s, so the matchup is a direct one. Vida Blue compiled 209 wins and 2,175 strikeouts; Steve Carlton put up 329 wins and 4,136 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Vida Blue
Steve Carlton
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Vida Blue | Steve Carlton |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 209 | 329 |
| Losses | 161 | 244 |
| Games | 502 | 741 |
| Games Started | 473 | 709 |
| Complete Games | 143 | 254 |
| Shutouts | 37 | 55 |
| Saves | 2 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | 2,175 | 4,136 |
| Walks | 1,185 | 1,833 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,939 | 4,672 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 263 | 414 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,343 | 5,217 |
| ERA | 3.27 | 3.22 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | 1.25 |
| K/9 | 5.85 | 7.13 |
| BB/9 | 3.19 | 3.16 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Steve Carlton outpaces Vida Blue 76,502 to 26,790 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,833 vs 1,576 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Vida Blue — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Steve Carlton — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Steve Carlton leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while Vida Blue owns WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Steve Carlton. PIV agrees: Steve Carlton grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.