Steve Carlton vs Randy Jones: 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; Randy Jones played 1973–1982 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 Randy Jones (1973–1982) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Steve Carlton finished with 329 wins and 4,136 strikeouts; Randy Jones finished with 100 wins and 735 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 Randy Jones's 3.42.
- Who won more games? Steve Carlton, with 329 to Randy Jones's 100.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to Randy Jones's 735.
- Who had the better WHIP? Neither — both are at 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Steve Carlton, with 5,217.1 to Randy Jones's 1,933.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Steve Carlton, with 55 to Randy Jones's 19.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Steve Carlton, with 76,502 career Pitcher PIV to Randy Jones's 9,804.
Steve Carlton
Randy Jones
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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Steve Carlton | Randy Jones |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 329 | 100 |
| Losses not scored | 244 | 123 |
| Games | Leads: 741 | 305 |
| Games Started | Leads: 709 | 285 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 254 | 73 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 55 | 19 |
| Saves | 2 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,136 | 735 |
| Walks not scored | 1,833 | 503 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,672 | 1,915 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 414 | 129 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,217.1 | 1,933.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.22 | 3.42 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.25 | 1.25 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.13 | 3.42 |
| BB/9 | 3.16 | Leads: 2.34 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Steve Carlton outpaces Randy Jones 76,502 to 9,804 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,833 PIV per season to 980, across 27 seasons to 10. 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)
Randy Jones — 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 Randy Jones 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 Randy Jones careers compare
Steve Carlton and Randy Jones were active at the same time between 1973 and 1982. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Steve Carlton appeared in 741 games to Randy Jones's 305. The green cells for Randy Jones are walks per nine (2.34 to 3.16). The per-nine rows read 7.13 strikeouts and 3.16 walks for Steve Carlton, 3.42 and 2.34 for Randy Jones. Steve Carlton was mainly a starter (709 starts in 741 games), and Randy Jones was mainly a starter (285 starts in 305 games). Complete games (254 to 73) show how differently the two eras used starters. In WHIP, Steve Carlton's 1.25 beats Randy Jones's 1.25.
Steve Carlton vs Randy Jones: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Steve Carlton or Randy Jones?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Steve Carlton leads Randy Jones in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Steve Carlton, with 3.22 to Randy Jones's 3.42.
- Who won more games?
- Steve Carlton, with 329 to Randy Jones's 100.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to Randy Jones's 735.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Neither — both are at 1.25.