Chris Carpenter vs Curt Schilling: Career Stats Comparison
Curt Schilling has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Chris Carpenter played 1997–2012 as a pitcher; Curt Schilling played 1988–2007 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
Chris Carpenter (1997–2012) and Curt Schilling (1988–2007) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Chris Carpenter finished with 144 wins and 1,697 strikeouts; Curt Schilling finished with 216 wins and 3,116 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Curt Schilling, with 3.46 to Chris Carpenter's 3.76.
- Who won more games? Curt Schilling, with 216 to Chris Carpenter's 144.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Chris Carpenter's 1,697.
- Who had the better WHIP? Curt Schilling, with 1.14 to Chris Carpenter's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Curt Schilling, with 3,261.0 to Chris Carpenter's 2,219.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Curt Schilling, with 20 to Chris Carpenter's 15.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Curt Schilling, with 98,246 career Pitcher PIV to Chris Carpenter's 32,497.
Chris Carpenter
Curt Schilling
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 1990s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Chris Carpenter | Curt Schilling |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 144 | Leads: 216 |
| Losses not scored | 94 | 146 |
| Games | 350 | Leads: 569 |
| Games Started | 332 | Leads: 436 |
| Complete Games | 33 | Leads: 83 |
| Shutouts | 15 | Leads: 20 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 22 |
| Strikeouts | 1,697 | Leads: 3,116 |
| Walks not scored | 627 | 711 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,205 | 2,998 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 220 | 347 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,219.1 | Leads: 3,261.0 |
| ERA | 3.76 | Leads: 3.46 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 6.88 | Leads: 8.60 |
| BB/9 | 2.54 | Leads: 1.96 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Curt Schilling outpaces Chris Carpenter 98,246 to 32,497 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,678 PIV per season to 2,166, across 21 seasons to 15. 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).
Chris Carpenter — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Curt Schilling — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Curt Schilling leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Chris Carpenter owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Curt Schilling. PIV agrees: Curt Schilling grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Chris Carpenter and Curt Schilling careers compare
From 1997 through 2007, Chris Carpenter and Curt Schilling were in the majors together. Curt Schilling has the far longer record, 569 games against 350 across 15 and 21 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Every scored category on the table goes to Curt Schilling. The per-nine rows read 6.88 strikeouts and 2.54 walks for Chris Carpenter, 8.60 and 1.96 for Curt Schilling. Both had the same role: Chris Carpenter was mainly a starter (332 starts in 350 games); Curt Schilling was mainly a starter (436 starts in 569 games). Curt Schilling allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.14 WHIP to Chris Carpenter's 1.28.
Chris Carpenter vs Curt Schilling: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Chris Carpenter or Curt Schilling?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Curt Schilling leads Chris Carpenter in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Curt Schilling, with 3.46 to Chris Carpenter's 3.76.
- Who won more games?
- Curt Schilling, with 216 to Chris Carpenter's 144.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Chris Carpenter's 1,697.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Curt Schilling, with 1.14 to Chris Carpenter's 1.28.