Steve Carlton vs Juan Marichal: Career Stats Comparison
Steve Carlton has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Steve Carlton played 1965–1988 as a pitcher; Juan Marichal played 1960–1975 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 Juan Marichal (1960–1975) — both debuted in the 1960s. Steve Carlton finished with 329 wins and 4,136 strikeouts; Juan Marichal finished with 243 wins and 2,303 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Steve Carlton, in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Steve Carlton's 3.22.
- Who won more games? Steve Carlton, with 329 to Juan Marichal's 243.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to Juan Marichal's 2,303.
- Who had the better WHIP? Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Steve Carlton's 1.25.
- How many innings did each pitch? Steve Carlton 5,217.1, Juan Marichal 3,507.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Steve Carlton, with 55 to Juan Marichal's 52.
Steve Carlton
Juan Marichal
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Steve Carlton | Juan Marichal |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 329 | 243 |
| Losses not scored | 244 | 142 |
| Games not scored | 741 | 471 |
| Games Started not scored | 709 | 457 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 254 | 244 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 55 | 52 |
| Saves not scored | 2 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,136 | 2,303 |
| Walks not scored | 1,833 | 709 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,672 | 3,153 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 414 | 320 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 5,217.1 | 3,507.1 |
| ERA | 3.22 | Leads: 2.89 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | Leads: 1.10 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.13 | 5.91 |
| BB/9 | 3.16 | Leads: 1.82 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Steve Carlton outpaces Juan Marichal 76,502 to 48,870 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,188 PIV per season to 3,054, across 24 seasons to 16. 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)
Juan Marichal — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Steve Carlton leads 5 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Juan Marichal leads 3: ERA, WHIP, and walks per nine. 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 Juan Marichal careers compare
From 1965 through 1975, Steve Carlton and Juan Marichal were in the majors together. The table compares 741 games of Steve Carlton with 471 of Juan Marichal across 24 and 16 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Juan Marichal are ERA (2.89 to 3.22), WHIP (1.10 to 1.25), and walks per nine (1.82 to 3.16). The per-nine rows read 7.13 strikeouts and 3.16 walks for Steve Carlton, 5.91 and 1.82 for Juan Marichal. Steve Carlton was mainly a starter (709 starts in 741 games), and Juan Marichal was mainly a starter (457 starts in 471 games). In WHIP, Juan Marichal's 1.10 beats Steve Carlton's 1.25.
Steve Carlton vs Juan Marichal: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Steve Carlton or Juan Marichal?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Steve Carlton leads Juan Marichal in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Steve Carlton's 3.22.
- Who won more games?
- Steve Carlton, with 329 to Juan Marichal's 243.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to Juan Marichal's 2,303.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Steve Carlton's 1.25.