Steve Carlton vs Vern Law: 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; Vern Law played 1950–1967 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 Vern Law (1950–1967) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1950s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Steve Carlton finished with 329 wins and 4,136 strikeouts; Vern Law finished with 162 wins and 1,092 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 Vern Law's 3.77.
- Who won more games? Steve Carlton, with 329 to Vern Law's 162.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to Vern Law's 1,092.
- Who had the better WHIP? Steve Carlton, with 1.25 to Vern Law's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Steve Carlton, with 5,217.1 to Vern Law's 2,672.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Steve Carlton, with 55 to Vern Law's 28.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Steve Carlton, with 76,502 career Pitcher PIV to Vern Law's 8,173.
Steve Carlton
Vern Law
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 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Steve Carlton | Vern Law |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 329 | 162 |
| Losses not scored | 244 | 147 |
| Games | Leads: 741 | 483 |
| Games Started | Leads: 709 | 364 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 254 | 119 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 55 | 28 |
| Saves | 2 | Leads: 13 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,136 | 1,092 |
| Walks not scored | 1,833 | 597 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,672 | 2,833 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 414 | 268 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,217.1 | 2,672.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.22 | 3.77 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.25 | 1.28 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.13 | 3.68 |
| BB/9 | 3.16 | Leads: 2.01 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Steve Carlton outpaces Vern Law 76,502 to 8,173 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,833 PIV per season to 511, across 27 seasons to 16. 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)
Vern Law — 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 Vern Law 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 Vern Law careers compare
From 1965 through 1967, Steve Carlton and Vern Law were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Steve Carlton appeared in 741 games to Vern Law's 483. Vern Law's edges on the table are saves (13 to 2) and walks per nine (2.01 to 3.16). By rate, Steve Carlton struck out 7.13 and walked 3.16 per nine innings; Vern Law struck out 3.68 and walked 2.01. Steve Carlton was mainly a starter (709 starts in 741 games), and Vern Law was mainly a starter (364 starts in 483 games). In WHIP, Steve Carlton's 1.25 beats Vern Law's 1.28.
Steve Carlton vs Vern Law: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Steve Carlton or Vern Law?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Steve Carlton leads Vern Law in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Steve Carlton, with 3.22 to Vern Law's 3.77.
- Who won more games?
- Steve Carlton, with 329 to Vern Law's 162.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to Vern Law's 1,092.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Steve Carlton, with 1.25 to Vern Law's 1.28.