Steve Carlton vs Dwight Gooden: 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; Dwight Gooden played 1984–2000 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 Dwight Gooden (1984–2000) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Steve Carlton finished with 329 wins and 4,136 strikeouts; Dwight Gooden finished with 194 wins and 2,293 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 Dwight Gooden's 3.51.
- Who won more games? Steve Carlton, with 329 to Dwight Gooden's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to Dwight Gooden's 2,293.
- Who had the better WHIP? Steve Carlton, with 1.25 to Dwight Gooden's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Steve Carlton, with 5,217.1 to Dwight Gooden's 2,800.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Steve Carlton, with 55 to Dwight Gooden's 24.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Steve Carlton, with 76,502 career Pitcher PIV to Dwight Gooden's 55,535.
Steve Carlton
Dwight Gooden
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 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Steve Carlton | Dwight Gooden |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 329 | 194 |
| Losses not scored | 244 | 112 |
| Games | Leads: 741 | 430 |
| Games Started | Leads: 709 | 410 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 254 | 68 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 55 | 24 |
| Saves | 2 | Leads: 3 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,136 | 2,293 |
| Walks not scored | 1,833 | 954 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,672 | 2,564 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 414 | 210 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,217.1 | 2,800.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.22 | 3.51 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.25 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | 7.13 | Leads: 7.37 |
| BB/9 | 3.16 | Leads: 3.07 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Steve Carlton outpaces Dwight Gooden 76,502 to 55,535 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Steve Carlton played 27 seasons to Dwight Gooden's 18, while Dwight Gooden carries the higher per-season figure (3,085 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)
Dwight Gooden — 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 Dwight Gooden owns 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 Dwight Gooden careers compare
From 1984 through 1988, Steve Carlton and Dwight Gooden were in the majors together. The table compares 741 games of Steve Carlton with 430 of Dwight Gooden across 27 and 18 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Dwight Gooden's edges on the table are saves (3 to 2), strikeouts per nine (7.37 to 7.13), and walks per nine (3.07 to 3.16). The per-nine rows read 7.13 strikeouts and 3.16 walks for Steve Carlton, 7.37 and 3.07 for Dwight Gooden. Both had the same role: Steve Carlton was mainly a starter (709 starts in 741 games); Dwight Gooden was mainly a starter (410 starts in 430 games).
Steve Carlton vs Dwight Gooden: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Steve Carlton or Dwight Gooden?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Steve Carlton leads Dwight Gooden in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Steve Carlton, with 3.22 to Dwight Gooden's 3.51.
- Who won more games?
- Steve Carlton, with 329 to Dwight Gooden's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to Dwight Gooden's 2,293.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Steve Carlton, with 1.25 to Dwight Gooden's 1.26.