Steve Carlton vs Pete Rose: Career Stats Comparison
Steve Carlton and Pete Rose played different roles, so their careers are compared side by side rather than scored against each other. Steve Carlton played 1965–1988 as a pitcher; Pete Rose played 1963–1986 as a hitter.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Steve Carlton (1965–1988) and Pete Rose (1963–1986) played opposite sides of the ball, so there is no honest category-by-category scoreboard for this matchup. Steve Carlton pitched, totalling 329 wins and 4,136 strikeouts; Pete Rose hit, totalling 4,256 hits and 160 home runs. Each career is shown below in its own discipline, with PIV as the one measure that spans both roles.
Quick answer
- Who has the higher career PIV? Steve Carlton, with 76,502 career PIV to Pete Rose's 40,772.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 3 World Series titles.
Steve Carlton
Pete Rose
Career Stats, Each in His Own Role
Steve Carlton is shown on pitching lines and Pete Rose on batting lines. Nothing is marked as a category winner, because these two cards measure different jobs — reading them cell against cell would tell you nothing.
Steve Carlton — Pitcher
| Statistic | Steve Carlton |
|---|---|
| Wins | 329 |
| Losses | 244 |
| Games | 741 |
| Games Started | 709 |
| Complete Games | 254 |
| Shutouts | 55 |
| Saves | 2 |
| Strikeouts | 4,136 |
| Walks | 1,833 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,672 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 414 |
| Innings Pitched | 5,217.1 |
| ERA | 3.22 |
| WHIP | 1.25 |
| K/9 | 7.13 |
| BB/9 | 3.16 |
Pete Rose — Hitter
| Statistic | Pete Rose |
|---|---|
| Games | 3,562 |
| At-Bats | 14,053 |
| Runs | 2,165 |
| Hits | 4,256 |
| Doubles | 746 |
| Triples | 135 |
| Home Runs | 160 |
| RBI | 1,314 |
| Walks | 1,566 |
| Strikeouts | 1,143 |
| Stolen Bases | 198 |
| Batting Avg | .303 |
| On-Base % | .375 |
| Slugging % | .409 |
| OPS | .784 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
Steve Carlton carries a career pitching PIV of 76,502; Pete Rose carries a career batting PIV of 40,772. Steve Carlton is the higher of the two at 76,502 to 40,772. Both figures adjust each season to league baselines, but batting PIV and pitching PIV are calibrated separately — so read this as a directional comparison of career impact, not a settled verdict.
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 within his own role — ERA for the pitcher (120+ innings), OPS for the hitter (300+ at-bats).
Steve Carlton — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Pete Rose — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Steve Carlton and Pete Rose: one pitched and one hit, and no counting stat means the same thing on both cards. On PIV — the one metric that scores both roles against league baselines — Steve Carlton grades higher, 76,502 to 40,772. Because the batting and pitching versions of PIV are calibrated separately, that gap is a directional signal about career impact rather than a ruling on who was the better ballplayer. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Steve Carlton and Pete Rose careers compare
From 1965 through 1986, Steve Carlton and Pete Rose were in the majors together. Steve Carlton's pitching card shows 329 wins, a 3.22 ERA and 4,136 strikeouts. Pete Rose's batting card reads 4,256 hits, 160 home runs and a .303 average. No single table can grade a pitcher against a hitter, so each career is shown in its own discipline, with PIV as the common scale. Their best seasons are measured differently, 1.97 ERA in 1972 for Steve Carlton and .940 OPS in 1969 for Pete Rose.
Steve Carlton vs Pete Rose: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has the higher career PIV?
- Steve Carlton, with 76,502 career PIV to Pete Rose's 40,772.
- Who won more championships?
- Both — each won 3 World Series titles.
- How do Steve Carlton and Pete Rose compare?
- Steve Carlton played 1965–1988 and Pete Rose played 1963–1986; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.