Lefty Grove vs Curt Schilling: Career Stats Comparison
Lefty Grove 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). Lefty Grove played 1925–1941 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
Lefty Grove (1925–1941) and Curt Schilling (1988–2007) — breaking in during the 1920s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Lefty Grove finished with 300 wins and 2,266 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? Lefty Grove, with 3.06 to Curt Schilling's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Lefty Grove, with 300 to Curt Schilling's 216.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Lefty Grove's 2,266.
- Who had the better WHIP? Curt Schilling, with 1.14 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Lefty Grove, with 3,940.2 to Curt Schilling's 3,261.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Lefty Grove, with 35 to Curt Schilling's 20.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Curt Schilling, with 98,246 career Pitcher PIV to Lefty Grove's 81,321.
Lefty Grove
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 1920s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lefty Grove | Curt Schilling |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 300 | 216 |
| Losses not scored | 141 | 146 |
| Games | Leads: 616 | 569 |
| Games Started | Leads: 457 | 436 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 298 | 83 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 35 | 20 |
| Saves | Leads: 55 | 22 |
| Strikeouts | 2,266 | Leads: 3,116 |
| Walks not scored | 1,187 | 711 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,849 | 2,998 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 162 | 347 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,940.2 | 3,261.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.06 | 3.46 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.18 | Leads: 8.60 |
| BB/9 | 2.71 | Leads: 1.96 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Curt Schilling leads Lefty Grove 98,246 to 81,321 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Curt Schilling played 21 seasons to Lefty Grove's 17, while Lefty Grove carries the higher per-season figure (4,784 to 4,678). 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).
Lefty Grove — 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, and K/9, while Lefty Grove owns wins, ERA, and innings pitched. 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 Lefty Grove and Curt Schilling careers compare
No season is shared: Lefty Grove played 1925–1941, Curt Schilling 1988–2007. The two careers are close in length, 616 games for Lefty Grove and 569 for Curt Schilling across 17 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Curt Schilling's edges on the table are strikeouts (3,116 to 2,266), WHIP (1.14 to 1.28), and strikeouts per nine (8.60 to 5.18). The per-nine rows read 5.18 strikeouts and 2.71 walks for Lefty Grove, 8.60 and 1.96 for Curt Schilling. Lefty Grove was mainly a starter (457 starts in 616 games), and Curt Schilling was mainly a starter (436 starts in 569 games).
Lefty Grove vs Curt Schilling: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lefty Grove or Curt Schilling?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lefty Grove leads Curt Schilling in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Lefty Grove, with 3.06 to Curt Schilling's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Lefty Grove, with 300 to Curt Schilling's 216.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Lefty Grove's 2,266.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Curt Schilling, with 1.14 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.