Steve Carlton vs Gene Garber: Career Stats Comparison
Steve Carlton (1965–1988) and Gene Garber (1969–1988) — both came up during the 1960s, so the matchup is a direct one. Steve Carlton compiled 329 wins and 4,136 strikeouts; Gene Garber put up 96 wins and 940 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Steve Carlton | Gene Garber |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 329 | 96 |
| Losses | 244 | 113 |
| Games | 741 | 931 |
| Games Started | 709 | 9 |
| Complete Games | 254 | 4 |
| Shutouts | 55 | 0 |
| Saves | 2 | 218 |
| Strikeouts | 4,136 | 940 |
| Walks | 1,833 | 445 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,672 | 1,464 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 414 | 123 |
| Innings Pitched | 5,217 | 1,510 |
| ERA | 3.22 | 3.34 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | 7.13 | 5.60 |
| BB/9 | 3.16 | 2.65 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Steve Carlton outpaces Gene Garber 76,502 to 15,978 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,833 vs 726 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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 seasons 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.