Steve Carlton vs Jerry Koosman: Career Stats Comparison
Steve Carlton (1965–1988) and Jerry Koosman (1967–1985) — both came up during the 1960s, so the matchup is a direct one. Steve Carlton compiled 329 wins and 4,136 strikeouts; Jerry Koosman put up 222 wins and 2,556 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Steve Carlton
Jerry Koosman
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 | Jerry Koosman |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 329 | 222 |
| Losses | 244 | 209 |
| Games | 741 | 612 |
| Games Started | 709 | 527 |
| Complete Games | 254 | 140 |
| Shutouts | 55 | 33 |
| Saves | 2 | 17 |
| Strikeouts | 4,136 | 2,556 |
| Walks | 1,833 | 1,198 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,672 | 3,635 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 414 | 290 |
| Innings Pitched | 5,217 | 3,839 |
| ERA | 3.22 | 3.36 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | 7.13 | 5.99 |
| BB/9 | 3.16 | 2.81 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Steve Carlton outpaces Jerry Koosman 76,502 to 42,939 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,833 vs 2,147 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)
Jerry Koosman — 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 Jerry Koosman 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.