Cliff Lee vs Curt Schilling: Career Stats Comparison
Curt Schilling has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Cliff Lee played 2002–2014 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
Cliff Lee (2002–2014) and Curt Schilling (1988–2007) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Cliff Lee finished with 143 wins and 1,824 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? Curt Schilling, with 3.46 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games? Curt Schilling, with 216 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP? Curt Schilling, with 1.14 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Curt Schilling, with 3,261.0 to Cliff Lee's 2,156.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Curt Schilling, with 20 to Cliff Lee's 12.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Curt Schilling, with 98,246 career Pitcher PIV to Cliff Lee's 41,719.
Cliff Lee
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 2000s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Cliff Lee | Curt Schilling |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 143 | Leads: 216 |
| Losses not scored | 91 | 146 |
| Games | 328 | Leads: 569 |
| Games Started | 324 | Leads: 436 |
| Complete Games | 29 | Leads: 83 |
| Shutouts | 12 | Leads: 20 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 22 |
| Strikeouts | 1,824 | Leads: 3,116 |
| Walks not scored | 464 | 711 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,116 | 2,998 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 223 | 347 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,156.2 | Leads: 3,261.0 |
| ERA | 3.52 | Leads: 3.46 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 7.61 | Leads: 8.60 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.94 | 1.96 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Curt Schilling outpaces Cliff Lee 98,246 to 41,719 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,678 PIV per season to 2,781, across 21 seasons to 15. 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).
Cliff Lee — 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 wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Cliff Lee 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.
Related Matchups
How the Cliff Lee and Curt Schilling careers compare
Cliff Lee and Curt Schilling were active at the same time between 2002 and 2007. Curt Schilling has the far longer record, 569 games against 328 across 15 and 21 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Cliff Lee's edges on the table are walks per nine (1.94 to 1.96). The per-nine rows read 7.61 strikeouts and 1.94 walks for Cliff Lee, 8.60 and 1.96 for Curt Schilling. Both had the same role: Cliff Lee was mainly a starter (324 starts in 328 games); Curt Schilling was mainly a starter (436 starts in 569 games). In WHIP, Curt Schilling's 1.14 beats Cliff Lee's 1.20.
Cliff Lee vs Curt Schilling: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cliff Lee or Curt Schilling?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Curt Schilling leads Cliff Lee in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Curt Schilling, with 3.46 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games?
- Curt Schilling, with 216 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Curt Schilling, with 1.14 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.