Max Fried vs Tarik Skubal: Career Stats Comparison
Max Fried has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Max Fried has played 2017–present as a pitcher; Tarik Skubal has played 2020–present 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
Max Fried (2017–present) and Tarik Skubal (2020–present) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Max Fried has 97 wins and 1,156 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Tarik Skubal has 66 wins and 1,075 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Max Fried, with 3.01 to Tarik Skubal's 3.02.
- Who won more games? Max Fried, with 97 to Tarik Skubal's 66.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Max Fried, with 1,156 to Tarik Skubal's 1,075.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tarik Skubal, with 1.01 to Max Fried's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Max Fried, with 1,192.1 to Tarik Skubal's 925.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Max Fried, with 4 to Tarik Skubal's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Max Fried, with 26,852 career Pitcher PIV to Tarik Skubal's 20,288.
Max Fried
Tarik Skubal
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 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Max Fried and Tarik Skubal are still active — their totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Max Fried | Tarik Skubal |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 97 | 66 |
| Losses not scored | 46 | 44 |
| Games | Leads: 220 | 163 |
| Games Started | Leads: 203 | 160 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 6 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 4 | 1 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,156 | 1,075 |
| Walks not scored | 330 | 199 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,026 | 740 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 94 | 104 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,192.1 | 925.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.01 | 3.02 |
| WHIP | 1.14 | Leads: 1.01 |
| K/9 | 8.73 | Leads: 10.46 |
| BB/9 | 2.49 | Leads: 1.94 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Max Fried leads Tarik Skubal 26,852 to 20,288 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Max Fried played 9 seasons to Tarik Skubal's 6, while Tarik Skubal carries the higher per-season figure (3,381 to 2,984). 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).
Max Fried — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Tarik Skubal — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Max Fried leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Tarik Skubal owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Max Fried. PIV agrees: Max Fried grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Max Fried and Tarik Skubal careers compare
The two careers overlap from 2020 on, with both players still active. With 220 games against 163 across 9 and 6 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Tarik Skubal comes out ahead, it is in WHIP (1.01 to 1.14), strikeouts per nine (10.46 to 8.73), and walks per nine (1.94 to 2.49). By rate, Max Fried struck out 8.73 and walked 2.49 per nine innings; Tarik Skubal struck out 10.46 and walked 1.94. Max Fried was mainly a starter (203 starts in 220 games), and Tarik Skubal was mainly a starter (160 starts in 163 games). In WHIP, Tarik Skubal's 1.01 beats Max Fried's 1.14. Because Max Fried and Tarik Skubal are still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Max Fried vs Tarik Skubal: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Max Fried or Tarik Skubal?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Max Fried leads Tarik Skubal in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Max Fried, with 3.01 to Tarik Skubal's 3.02.
- Who won more games?
- Max Fried, with 97 to Tarik Skubal's 66.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Max Fried, with 1,156 to Tarik Skubal's 1,075.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tarik Skubal, with 1.01 to Max Fried's 1.14.