Steve Carlton vs Bob Feller: Career Stats Comparison
Steve Carlton has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Bob Feller played 1936–1956 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 Bob Feller (1936–1956) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1930s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Steve Carlton finished with 329 wins and 4,136 strikeouts; Bob Feller finished with 266 wins and 2,581 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Steve Carlton, with 3.22 to Bob Feller's 3.25.
- Who won more games? Steve Carlton, with 329 to Bob Feller's 266.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to Bob Feller's 2,581.
- Who had the better WHIP? Steve Carlton, with 1.25 to Bob Feller's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Steve Carlton, with 5,217.1 to Bob Feller's 3,827.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Steve Carlton, with 55 to Bob Feller's 44.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Steve Carlton, with 76,502 career Pitcher PIV to Bob Feller's 48,739.
Steve Carlton
Bob Feller
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 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Steve Carlton | Bob Feller |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 329 | 266 |
| Losses not scored | 244 | 162 |
| Games | Leads: 741 | 570 |
| Games Started | Leads: 709 | 484 |
| Complete Games | 254 | Leads: 279 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 55 | 44 |
| Saves | 2 | Leads: 21 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,136 | 2,581 |
| Walks not scored | 1,833 | 1,764 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,672 | 3,271 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 414 | 224 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,217.1 | 3,827.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.22 | 3.25 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.25 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.13 | 6.07 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.16 | 4.15 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Steve Carlton outpaces Bob Feller 76,502 to 48,739 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,833 PIV per season to 2,708, across 27 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).
Steve Carlton — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Bob Feller — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Steve Carlton leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Bob Feller owns no headline categories. 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 Bob Feller careers compare
No season is shared: Bob Feller played 1936–1956, Steve Carlton 1965–1988. The two careers are close in length, 741 games for Steve Carlton and 570 for Bob Feller across 27 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Bob Feller's edges on the table are complete games (279 to 254) and saves (21 to 2). The per-nine rows read 7.13 strikeouts and 3.16 walks for Steve Carlton, 6.07 and 4.15 for Bob Feller. Steve Carlton was mainly a starter (709 starts in 741 games), and Bob Feller was mainly a starter (484 starts in 570 games). Steve Carlton allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.25 WHIP to Bob Feller's 1.32.
Steve Carlton vs Bob Feller: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Steve Carlton or Bob Feller?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Steve Carlton leads Bob Feller in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Steve Carlton, with 3.22 to Bob Feller's 3.25.
- Who won more games?
- Steve Carlton, with 329 to Bob Feller's 266.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to Bob Feller's 2,581.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Steve Carlton, with 1.25 to Bob Feller's 1.32.