Clayton Kershaw vs Curt Schilling: Career Stats Comparison

Clayton Kershaw (2008–present) and Curt Schilling (1988–2007) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Clayton Kershaw compiled 223 wins and 3,052 strikeouts; Curt Schilling put up 216 wins and 3,116 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Clayton Kershaw

Pitcher · 2008–present
Wins
223
Losses
96
Strikeouts
3,052
ERA
2.53
WHIP
1.02
IP
2,855
View Clayton Kershaw'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 Clayton Kershaw Curt Schilling
Wins 223 216
Losses 96 146
Games 455 569
Games Started 451 436
Complete Games 25 83
Shutouts 15 20
Saves 0 22
Strikeouts 3,052 3,116
Walks 713 711
Hits Allowed 2,193 2,998
Home Runs Allowed 235 347
Innings Pitched 2,855 3,261
ERA 2.53 3.46
WHIP 1.02 1.14
K/9 9.62 8.60
BB/9 2.25 1.96

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Curt Schilling edges Clayton Kershaw 98,246 to 93,455 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,678 vs 5,192 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Clayton Kershaw
93,455
Career Pitcher PIV · 5,192 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).

Clayton Kershaw — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20161.69 ERA12-4, 172 K in 149 IP
20141.77 ERA21-3, 239 K in 198 IP
20131.83 ERA16-9, 232 K in 236 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, Clayton Kershaw leads in wins, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Curt Schilling owns strikeouts and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Clayton Kershaw. Note that PIV actually grades Curt Schilling ahead, which means Clayton Kershaw's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

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