Whitey Ford vs Curt Schilling: Career Stats Comparison
Curt Schilling has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Whitey Ford played 1950–1967 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
Whitey Ford (1950–1967) and Curt Schilling (1988–2007) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Whitey Ford finished with 236 wins and 1,956 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? Whitey Ford, with 2.75 to Curt Schilling's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Whitey Ford, with 236 to Curt Schilling's 216.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Whitey Ford's 1,956.
- Who had the better WHIP? Curt Schilling, with 1.14 to Whitey Ford's 1.22.
- Who pitched more innings? Curt Schilling, with 3,261.0 to Whitey Ford's 3,170.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Whitey Ford, with 45 to Curt Schilling's 20.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Curt Schilling, with 98,246 career Pitcher PIV to Whitey Ford's 47,870.
Whitey Ford
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 1950s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Whitey Ford | Curt Schilling |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 236 | 216 |
| Losses not scored | 106 | 146 |
| Games | 498 | Leads: 569 |
| Games Started | Leads: 438 | 436 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 156 | 83 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 45 | 20 |
| Saves | 10 | Leads: 22 |
| Strikeouts | 1,956 | Leads: 3,116 |
| Walks not scored | 1,086 | 711 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,766 | 2,998 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 228 | 347 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,170.1 | Leads: 3,261.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.75 | 3.46 |
| WHIP | 1.22 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.55 | Leads: 8.60 |
| BB/9 | 3.08 | Leads: 1.96 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Curt Schilling outpaces Whitey Ford 98,246 to 47,870 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,678 PIV per season to 2,992, across 21 seasons to 16. 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).
Whitey Ford — 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 strikeouts, WHIP, K/9, and innings pitched, while Whitey Ford owns wins and ERA. 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 Whitey Ford and Curt Schilling careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Whitey Ford's ended in 1967, and Curt Schilling debuted in 1988. With 498 games against 569 across 16 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. By rate, Whitey Ford struck out 5.55 and walked 3.08 per nine innings; Curt Schilling struck out 8.60 and walked 1.96. Whitey Ford was mainly a starter (438 starts in 498 games), and Curt Schilling was mainly a starter (436 starts in 569 games). Curt Schilling allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.14 WHIP to Whitey Ford's 1.22. Whitey Ford owns the better peak by ERA: 2.01 ERA in 1958 for Whitey Ford against 2.35 ERA in 1992 for Curt Schilling.
Whitey Ford vs Curt Schilling: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Whitey Ford or Curt Schilling?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Curt Schilling leads Whitey Ford in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Whitey Ford, with 2.75 to Curt Schilling's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Whitey Ford, with 236 to Curt Schilling's 216.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Whitey Ford's 1,956.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Curt Schilling, with 1.14 to Whitey Ford's 1.22.