Steve Carlton vs Dean Chance: Career Stats Comparison
Steve Carlton 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). Steve Carlton played 1965–1988 as a pitcher; Dean Chance played 1961–1971 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
Steve Carlton (1965–1988) and Dean Chance (1961–1971) — both came up during the 1960s, so the matchup is a direct one. Steve Carlton finished with 329 wins and 4,136 strikeouts; Dean Chance finished with 128 wins and 1,534 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Dean Chance, with 2.92 to Steve Carlton's 3.22.
- Who won more games? Steve Carlton, with 329 to Dean Chance's 128.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to Dean Chance's 1,534.
- Who had the better WHIP? Dean Chance, with 1.21 to Steve Carlton's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Steve Carlton, with 5,217.1 to Dean Chance's 2,147.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Steve Carlton, with 55 to Dean Chance's 33.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Steve Carlton, with 76,502 career Pitcher PIV to Dean Chance's 30,038.
Steve Carlton
Dean Chance
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Steve Carlton | Dean Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 329 | 128 |
| Losses not scored | 244 | 115 |
| Games | Leads: 741 | 406 |
| Games Started | Leads: 709 | 294 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 254 | 83 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 55 | 33 |
| Saves | 2 | Leads: 23 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,136 | 1,534 |
| Walks not scored | 1,833 | 739 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,672 | 1,864 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 414 | 122 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,217.1 | 2,147.1 |
| ERA | 3.22 | Leads: 2.92 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | Leads: 1.21 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.13 | 6.43 |
| BB/9 | 3.16 | Leads: 3.10 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Steve Carlton outpaces Dean Chance 76,502 to 30,038 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,833 PIV per season to 2,503, across 27 seasons to 12. 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).
Steve Carlton — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Dean Chance — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Steve Carlton leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Dean Chance owns ERA and 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.
Related Matchups
How the Steve Carlton and Dean Chance careers compare
Steve Carlton and Dean Chance were active at the same time between 1965 and 1971. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Steve Carlton appeared in 741 games to Dean Chance's 406. Where Dean Chance comes out ahead, it is in saves (23 to 2), ERA (2.92 to 3.22), and WHIP (1.21 to 1.25). The per-nine rows read 7.13 strikeouts and 3.16 walks for Steve Carlton, 6.43 and 3.10 for Dean Chance. Steve Carlton was mainly a starter (709 starts in 741 games), and Dean Chance was mainly a starter (294 starts in 406 games).
Steve Carlton vs Dean Chance: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Steve Carlton or Dean Chance?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Steve Carlton leads Dean Chance in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Dean Chance, with 2.92 to Steve Carlton's 3.22.
- Who won more games?
- Steve Carlton, with 329 to Dean Chance's 128.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to Dean Chance's 1,534.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Dean Chance, with 1.21 to Steve Carlton's 1.25.