Bert Blyleven vs Tarik Skubal: Career Stats Comparison
Bert Blyleven has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Bert Blyleven played 1970–1992 as a pitcher; Tarik Skubal has played 2020–present 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
Bert Blyleven (1970–1992) and Tarik Skubal (2020–present) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bert Blyleven finished with 287 wins and 3,701 strikeouts; Tarik Skubal has 66 wins and 1,075 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Tarik Skubal, with 3.02 to Bert Blyleven's 3.31.
- Who won more games? Bert Blyleven, with 287 to Tarik Skubal's 66.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bert Blyleven, with 3,701 to Tarik Skubal's 1,075.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tarik Skubal, with 1.01 to Bert Blyleven's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Bert Blyleven, with 4,970.0 to Tarik Skubal's 925.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bert Blyleven, with 60 to Tarik Skubal's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bert Blyleven, with 74,910 career Pitcher PIV to Tarik Skubal's 20,288.
Bert Blyleven
Tarik Skubal
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 1970s and the 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Tarik Skubal is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Bert Blyleven | Tarik Skubal |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 287 | 66 |
| Losses not scored | 250 | 44 |
| Games | Leads: 692 | 163 |
| Games Started | Leads: 685 | 160 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 242 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 60 | 1 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,701 | 1,075 |
| Walks not scored | 1,322 | 199 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,632 | 740 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 430 | 104 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,970.0 | 925.1 |
| ERA | 3.31 | Leads: 3.02 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.01 |
| K/9 | 6.70 | Leads: 10.46 |
| BB/9 | 2.39 | Leads: 1.94 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bert Blyleven outpaces Tarik Skubal 74,910 to 20,288 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Bert Blyleven played 24 seasons to Tarik Skubal's 6, while Tarik Skubal carries the higher per-season figure (3,381 to 3,121). 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).
Bert Blyleven — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Tarik Skubal — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bert Blyleven leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Tarik Skubal owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bert Blyleven. PIV agrees: Bert Blyleven grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bert Blyleven and Tarik Skubal careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Bert Blyleven's ended in 1992, and Tarik Skubal debuted in 2020. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Bert Blyleven appeared in 692 games to Tarik Skubal's 163. The green cells for Tarik Skubal are ERA (3.02 to 3.31), WHIP (1.01 to 1.20), and strikeouts per nine (10.46 to 6.70). By rate, Bert Blyleven struck out 6.70 and walked 2.39 per nine innings; Tarik Skubal struck out 10.46 and walked 1.94. Both had the same role: Bert Blyleven was mainly a starter (685 starts in 692 games); Tarik Skubal was mainly a starter (160 starts in 163 games). Because Tarik Skubal is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Bert Blyleven vs Tarik Skubal: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bert Blyleven or Tarik Skubal?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bert Blyleven leads Tarik Skubal in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Tarik Skubal, with 3.02 to Bert Blyleven's 3.31.
- Who won more games?
- Bert Blyleven, with 287 to Tarik Skubal's 66.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bert Blyleven, with 3,701 to Tarik Skubal's 1,075.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tarik Skubal, with 1.01 to Bert Blyleven's 1.20.