Orel Hershiser vs Curt Schilling: Career Stats Comparison

Orel Hershiser (1983–2000) and Curt Schilling (1988–2007) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Orel Hershiser compiled 204 wins and 2,014 strikeouts; Curt Schilling put up 216 wins and 3,116 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Orel Hershiser

Pitcher · 1983–2000
Wins
204
Losses
150
Strikeouts
2,014
ERA
3.48
WHIP
1.26
IP
3,130
View Orel Hershiser's full profile →

Curt Schilling

Pitcher · 1988–2007
Wins
216
Losses
146
Strikeouts
3,116
ERA
3.46
WHIP
1.14
IP
3,261
View Curt Schilling's full profile →

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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.

Statistic Orel Hershiser Curt Schilling
Wins 204 216
Losses 150 146
Games 510 569
Games Started 466 436
Complete Games 68 83
Shutouts 25 20
Saves 5 22
Strikeouts 2,014 3,116
Walks 1,007 711
Hits Allowed 2,939 2,998
Home Runs Allowed 235 347
Innings Pitched 3,130 3,261
ERA 3.48 3.46
WHIP 1.26 1.14
K/9 5.79 8.60
BB/9 2.90 1.96

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Curt Schilling outpaces Orel Hershiser 98,246 to 37,276 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,678 vs 2,071 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Orel Hershiser
37,276
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,071 per season (18 seasons)
Curt Schilling
98,246
Career Pitcher PIV · 4,678 per season (21 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).

Orel Hershiser — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19852.03 ERA19-3, 157 K in 239 IP
19882.26 ERA23-8, 178 K in 267 IP
19892.31 ERA15-15, 178 K in 256 IP

Curt Schilling — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19922.35 ERA14-11, 147 K in 226 IP
20032.95 ERA8-9, 194 K in 168 IP
19972.97 ERA17-11, 319 K in 254 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Curt Schilling leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Orel Hershiser 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.

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