Steve Carlton vs Gerrit Cole: 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; Gerrit Cole has played 2013–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
Steve Carlton (1965–1988) and Gerrit Cole (2013–present) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Steve Carlton finished with 329 wins and 4,136 strikeouts; Gerrit Cole has 163 wins and 2,382 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Gerrit Cole, with 3.20 to Steve Carlton's 3.22.
- Who won more games? Steve Carlton, with 329 to Gerrit Cole's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to Gerrit Cole's 2,382.
- Who had the better WHIP? Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Steve Carlton's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Steve Carlton, with 5,217.1 to Gerrit Cole's 2,081.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Steve Carlton, with 55 to Gerrit Cole's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Steve Carlton, with 76,502 career Pitcher PIV to Gerrit Cole's 50,909.
Steve Carlton
Gerrit Cole
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 1960s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Gerrit Cole is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Steve Carlton | Gerrit Cole |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 329 | 163 |
| Losses not scored | 244 | 89 |
| Games | Leads: 741 | 339 |
| Games Started | Leads: 709 | 339 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 254 | 8 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 55 | 5 |
| Saves | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,136 | 2,382 |
| Walks not scored | 1,833 | 525 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,672 | 1,742 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 414 | 239 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,217.1 | 2,081.0 |
| ERA | 3.22 | Leads: 3.20 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | Leads: 1.09 |
| K/9 | 7.13 | Leads: 10.30 |
| BB/9 | 3.16 | Leads: 2.27 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Steve Carlton outpaces Gerrit Cole 76,502 to 50,909 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Steve Carlton played 27 seasons to Gerrit Cole's 12, while Gerrit Cole carries the higher per-season figure (4,242 to 2,833). 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)
Gerrit Cole — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Steve Carlton leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Gerrit Cole owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. 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 Gerrit Cole careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Steve Carlton's ended in 1988, and Gerrit Cole debuted in 2013. Steve Carlton has the far longer record, 741 games against 339 across 27 and 12 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Gerrit Cole's edges on the table are ERA (3.20 to 3.22), WHIP (1.09 to 1.25), and strikeouts per nine (10.30 to 7.13). The per-nine rows read 7.13 strikeouts and 3.16 walks for Steve Carlton, 10.30 and 2.27 for Gerrit Cole. Steve Carlton was mainly a starter (709 starts in 741 games), and Gerrit Cole was mainly a starter (339 starts in 339 games). Complete games (254 to 8) show how differently the two eras used starters. Gerrit Cole's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Steve Carlton vs Gerrit Cole: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Steve Carlton or Gerrit Cole?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Steve Carlton leads Gerrit Cole in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Gerrit Cole, with 3.20 to Steve Carlton's 3.22.
- Who won more games?
- Steve Carlton, with 329 to Gerrit Cole's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to Gerrit Cole's 2,382.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Steve Carlton's 1.25.