Steve Carlton vs John Montefusco: 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; John Montefusco played 1974–1986 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 John Montefusco (1974–1986) — 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; John Montefusco finished with 90 wins and 1,081 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 John Montefusco's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Steve Carlton, with 329 to John Montefusco's 90.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to John Montefusco's 1,081.
- Who had the better WHIP? Steve Carlton, with 1.25 to John Montefusco's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Steve Carlton, with 5,217.1 to John Montefusco's 1,652.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Steve Carlton, with 55 to John Montefusco's 11.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Steve Carlton, with 76,502 career Pitcher PIV to John Montefusco's 16,548.
Steve Carlton
John Montefusco
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 | John Montefusco |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 329 | 90 |
| Losses not scored | 244 | 83 |
| Games | Leads: 741 | 298 |
| Games Started | Leads: 709 | 244 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 254 | 32 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 55 | 11 |
| Saves | 2 | Leads: 5 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,136 | 1,081 |
| Walks not scored | 1,833 | 513 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,672 | 1,604 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 414 | 135 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,217.1 | 1,652.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.22 | 3.54 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.25 | 1.28 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.13 | 5.89 |
| BB/9 | 3.16 | Leads: 2.79 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Steve Carlton outpaces John Montefusco 76,502 to 16,548 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,833 PIV per season to 1,182, across 27 seasons to 14. 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)
John Montefusco — 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 John Montefusco 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 John Montefusco careers compare
The careers of Steve Carlton (1965–1988) and John Montefusco (1974–1986) overlapped from 1974 to 1986, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Steve Carlton has the far longer record, 741 games against 298 across 27 and 14 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. John Montefusco's edges on the table are saves (5 to 2) and walks per nine (2.79 to 3.16). By rate, Steve Carlton struck out 7.13 and walked 3.16 per nine innings; John Montefusco struck out 5.89 and walked 2.79. Steve Carlton was mainly a starter (709 starts in 741 games), and John Montefusco was mainly a starter (244 starts in 298 games).
Steve Carlton vs John Montefusco: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Steve Carlton or John Montefusco?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Steve Carlton leads John Montefusco in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Steve Carlton, with 3.22 to John Montefusco's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Steve Carlton, with 329 to John Montefusco's 90.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to John Montefusco's 1,081.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Steve Carlton, with 1.25 to John Montefusco's 1.28.