Walter Johnson vs Curt Schilling: Career Stats Comparison
Walter Johnson has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Walter Johnson played 1907–1927 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
Walter Johnson (1907–1927) and Curt Schilling (1988–2007) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Walter Johnson finished with 417 wins and 3,509 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? Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Curt Schilling's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to Curt Schilling's 216.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Curt Schilling's 3,116.
- Who had the better WHIP? Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Curt Schilling's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Walter Johnson, with 5,914.2 to Curt Schilling's 3,261.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to Curt Schilling's 20.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Walter Johnson, with 124,021 career Pitcher PIV to Curt Schilling's 98,246.
Walter Johnson
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 1900s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Walter Johnson | Curt Schilling |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 417 | 216 |
| Losses not scored | 279 | 146 |
| Games | Leads: 802 | 569 |
| Games Started | Leads: 666 | 436 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 531 | 83 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 110 | 20 |
| Saves | Leads: 34 | 22 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,509 | 3,116 |
| Walks not scored | 1,363 | 711 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,913 | 2,998 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 347 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,914.2 | 3,261.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.17 | 3.46 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.34 | Leads: 8.60 |
| BB/9 | 2.07 | Leads: 1.96 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson leads Curt Schilling 124,021 to 98,246 — driven by per-season impact — 5,906 PIV per season to 4,678 — rather than by longevity, since Walter Johnson played 21 seasons to Curt Schilling's 21. 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).
Walter Johnson — 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, Walter Johnson leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Curt Schilling owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Walter Johnson. PIV agrees: Walter Johnson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Walter Johnson and Curt Schilling careers compare
No season is shared: Walter Johnson played 1907–1927, Curt Schilling 1988–2007. With 802 games against 569 across 21 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Curt Schilling comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (8.60 to 5.34) and walks per nine (1.96 to 2.07). The per-nine rows read 5.34 strikeouts and 2.07 walks for Walter Johnson, 8.60 and 1.96 for Curt Schilling. Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games), and Curt Schilling was mainly a starter (436 starts in 569 games). The complete-game row, 531 against 83, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games.
Walter Johnson vs Curt Schilling: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Walter Johnson or Curt Schilling?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads Curt Schilling in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Curt Schilling's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to Curt Schilling's 216.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Curt Schilling's 3,116.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Curt Schilling's 1.14.