Steve Carlton vs Jimmy Key: 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; Jimmy Key played 1984–1998 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 Jimmy Key (1984–1998) — 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; Jimmy Key finished with 186 wins and 1,538 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 Jimmy Key's 3.51.
- Who won more games? Steve Carlton, with 329 to Jimmy Key's 186.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to Jimmy Key's 1,538.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jimmy Key, with 1.23 to Steve Carlton's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Steve Carlton, with 5,217.1 to Jimmy Key's 2,591.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Steve Carlton, with 55 to Jimmy Key's 13.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Steve Carlton, with 76,502 career Pitcher PIV to Jimmy Key's 19,114.
Steve Carlton
Jimmy Key
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 | Jimmy Key |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 329 | 186 |
| Losses not scored | 244 | 117 |
| Games | Leads: 741 | 470 |
| Games Started | Leads: 709 | 389 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 254 | 34 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 55 | 13 |
| Saves | 2 | Leads: 10 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,136 | 1,538 |
| Walks not scored | 1,833 | 668 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,672 | 2,518 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 414 | 254 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,217.1 | 2,591.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.22 | 3.51 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | Leads: 1.23 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.13 | 5.34 |
| BB/9 | 3.16 | Leads: 2.32 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Steve Carlton outpaces Jimmy Key 76,502 to 19,114 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,833 PIV per season to 1,274, across 27 seasons to 15. 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)
Jimmy Key — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Steve Carlton leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while Jimmy Key owns WHIP. 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 Jimmy Key careers compare
From 1984 through 1988, Steve Carlton and Jimmy Key were in the majors together. The table compares 741 games of Steve Carlton with 470 of Jimmy Key across 27 and 15 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Jimmy Key's edges on the table are saves (10 to 2), WHIP (1.23 to 1.25), and walks per nine (2.32 to 3.16). The per-nine rows read 7.13 strikeouts and 3.16 walks for Steve Carlton, 5.34 and 2.32 for Jimmy Key. Steve Carlton was mainly a starter (709 starts in 741 games), and Jimmy Key was mainly a starter (389 starts in 470 games).
Steve Carlton vs Jimmy Key: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Steve Carlton or Jimmy Key?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Steve Carlton leads Jimmy Key in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Steve Carlton, with 3.22 to Jimmy Key's 3.51.
- Who won more games?
- Steve Carlton, with 329 to Jimmy Key's 186.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to Jimmy Key's 1,538.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jimmy Key, with 1.23 to Steve Carlton's 1.25.