Steve Carlton vs Fernando Valenzuela: Career Stats Comparison
Steve Carlton has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Fernando Valenzuela played 1980–1997 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 Fernando Valenzuela (1980–1997) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Steve Carlton finished with 329 wins and 4,136 strikeouts; Fernando Valenzuela finished with 173 wins and 2,074 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 Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Steve Carlton, with 329 to Fernando Valenzuela's 173.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP? Steve Carlton, with 1.25 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Steve Carlton, with 5,217.1 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,930.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Steve Carlton, with 55 to Fernando Valenzuela's 31.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Steve Carlton, with 76,502 career Pitcher PIV to Fernando Valenzuela's 30,102.
Steve Carlton
Fernando Valenzuela
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 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Steve Carlton | Fernando Valenzuela |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 329 | 173 |
| Losses not scored | 244 | 153 |
| Games | Leads: 741 | 453 |
| Games Started | Leads: 709 | 424 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 254 | 113 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 55 | 31 |
| Saves | 2 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,136 | 2,074 |
| Walks not scored | 1,833 | 1,151 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,672 | 2,718 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 414 | 226 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,217.1 | 2,930.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.22 | 3.54 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.25 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.13 | 6.37 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.16 | 3.54 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Steve Carlton outpaces Fernando Valenzuela 76,502 to 30,102 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,833 PIV per season to 1,672, across 27 seasons to 18. 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)
Fernando Valenzuela — 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 Fernando Valenzuela 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 Fernando Valenzuela careers compare
The careers of Steve Carlton (1965–1988) and Fernando Valenzuela (1980–1997) overlapped from 1980 to 1988, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Steve Carlton appeared in 741 games to Fernando Valenzuela's 453. Every scored category on the table goes to Steve Carlton. By rate, Steve Carlton struck out 7.13 and walked 3.16 per nine innings; Fernando Valenzuela struck out 6.37 and walked 3.54. Steve Carlton was mainly a starter (709 starts in 741 games), and Fernando Valenzuela was mainly a starter (424 starts in 453 games). In WHIP, Steve Carlton's 1.25 beats Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.
Steve Carlton vs Fernando Valenzuela: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Steve Carlton or Fernando Valenzuela?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Steve Carlton leads Fernando Valenzuela in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Steve Carlton, with 3.22 to Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Steve Carlton, with 329 to Fernando Valenzuela's 173.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Steve Carlton, with 1.25 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.