Steve Carlton vs Gene Garber: Career Stats Comparison
Steve Carlton has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Gene Garber played 1969–1988 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 Gene Garber (1969–1988) — both came up during the 1960s, so the matchup is a direct one. Steve Carlton finished with 329 wins and 4,136 strikeouts; Gene Garber finished with 96 wins and 940 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 Gene Garber's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Steve Carlton, with 329 to Gene Garber's 96.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to Gene Garber's 940.
- Who had the better WHIP? Steve Carlton, with 1.25 to Gene Garber's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Steve Carlton, with 5,217.1 to Gene Garber's 1,510.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Steve Carlton, with 55 to Gene Garber's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Steve Carlton, with 76,502 career Pitcher PIV to Gene Garber's 15,978.
Steve Carlton
Gene Garber
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 | Gene Garber |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 329 | 96 |
| Losses not scored | 244 | 113 |
| Games | 741 | Leads: 931 |
| Games Started | Leads: 709 | 9 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 254 | 4 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 55 | 0 |
| Saves | 2 | Leads: 218 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,136 | 940 |
| Walks not scored | 1,833 | 445 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,672 | 1,464 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 414 | 123 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,217.1 | 1,510.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.22 | 3.34 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.25 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.13 | 5.60 |
| BB/9 | 3.16 | Leads: 2.65 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Steve Carlton outpaces Gene Garber 76,502 to 15,978 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,833 PIV per season to 726, across 27 seasons to 22. 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)
Gene Garber — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Steve Carlton leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Gene Garber 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 Gene Garber careers compare
Steve Carlton and Gene Garber were active at the same time between 1969 and 1988. The two careers are close in length, 741 games for Steve Carlton and 931 for Gene Garber across 27 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Gene Garber's edges on the table are games (931 to 741), saves (218 to 2), and walks per nine (2.65 to 3.16). The per-nine rows read 7.13 strikeouts and 3.16 walks for Steve Carlton, 5.60 and 2.65 for Gene Garber. Steve Carlton was mainly a starter (709 starts in 741 games), while Gene Garber worked mostly in relief (9 starts in 931 games, 218 saves).
Steve Carlton vs Gene Garber: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Steve Carlton or Gene Garber?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Steve Carlton leads Gene Garber in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Steve Carlton, with 3.22 to Gene Garber's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Steve Carlton, with 329 to Gene Garber's 96.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to Gene Garber's 940.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Steve Carlton, with 1.25 to Gene Garber's 1.26.