Gerrit Cole vs Curt Schilling: Career Stats Comparison
Curt Schilling has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Gerrit Cole has played 2013–present 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
Gerrit Cole (2013–present) and Curt Schilling (1988–2007) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Gerrit Cole has 163 wins and 2,382 strikeouts through October 6, 2026; 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? Gerrit Cole, with 3.20 to Curt Schilling's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Curt Schilling, with 216 to Gerrit Cole's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Gerrit Cole's 2,382.
- Who had the better WHIP? Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Curt Schilling's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Curt Schilling, with 3,261.0 to Gerrit Cole's 2,081.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Curt Schilling, with 20 to Gerrit Cole's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Curt Schilling, with 98,246 career Pitcher PIV to Gerrit Cole's 50,909.
Gerrit Cole
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 2010s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Gerrit Cole is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Gerrit Cole | Curt Schilling |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 163 | Leads: 216 |
| Losses not scored | 89 | 146 |
| Games | 339 | Leads: 569 |
| Games Started | 339 | Leads: 436 |
| Complete Games | 8 | Leads: 83 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 20 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 22 |
| Strikeouts | 2,382 | Leads: 3,116 |
| Walks not scored | 525 | 711 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,742 | 2,998 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 239 | 347 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,081.0 | Leads: 3,261.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.20 | 3.46 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.09 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.30 | 8.60 |
| BB/9 | 2.27 | Leads: 1.96 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Curt Schilling outpaces Gerrit Cole 98,246 to 50,909 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,678 PIV per season to 4,242, across 21 seasons to 12. 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).
Gerrit Cole — 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, and innings pitched, while Gerrit Cole owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. 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 Gerrit Cole and Curt Schilling careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Curt Schilling's ended in 2007, and Gerrit Cole debuted in 2013. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Gerrit Cole has appeared in 339 games to Curt Schilling's 569. Where Gerrit Cole comes out ahead, it is in ERA (3.20 to 3.46), WHIP (1.09 to 1.14), and strikeouts per nine (10.30 to 8.60). The per-nine rows read 10.30 strikeouts and 2.27 walks for Gerrit Cole, 8.60 and 1.96 for Curt Schilling. Gerrit Cole was mainly a starter (339 starts in 339 games), and Curt Schilling was mainly a starter (436 starts in 569 games). Because Gerrit Cole is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Gerrit Cole vs Curt Schilling: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gerrit Cole or Curt Schilling?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Curt Schilling leads Gerrit Cole in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Gerrit Cole, with 3.20 to Curt Schilling's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Curt Schilling, with 216 to Gerrit Cole's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Gerrit Cole's 2,382.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Curt Schilling's 1.14.