Bob Lemon vs Curt Schilling: Career Stats Comparison
Curt Schilling 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). Bob Lemon played 1941–1958 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
Bob Lemon (1941–1958) and Curt Schilling (1988–2007) — breaking in during the 1940s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bob Lemon finished with 207 wins and 1,277 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? Bob Lemon, with 3.23 to Curt Schilling's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Curt Schilling, with 216 to Bob Lemon's 207.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Bob Lemon's 1,277.
- Who had the better WHIP? Curt Schilling, with 1.14 to Bob Lemon's 1.34.
- Who pitched more innings? Curt Schilling, with 3,261.0 to Bob Lemon's 2,850.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Lemon, with 31 to Curt Schilling's 20.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Curt Schilling, with 98,246 career Pitcher PIV to Bob Lemon's 14,410.
Bob Lemon
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 1940s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bob Lemon | Curt Schilling |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 207 | Leads: 216 |
| Losses not scored | 128 | 146 |
| Games | 460 | Leads: 569 |
| Games Started | 350 | Leads: 436 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 188 | 83 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 31 | 20 |
| Saves | 22 | 22 |
| Strikeouts | 1,277 | Leads: 3,116 |
| Walks not scored | 1,251 | 711 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,559 | 2,998 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 181 | 347 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,850.0 | Leads: 3,261.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.23 | 3.46 |
| WHIP | 1.34 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 4.03 | Leads: 8.60 |
| BB/9 | 3.95 | Leads: 1.96 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Curt Schilling outpaces Bob Lemon 98,246 to 14,410 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,678 PIV per season to 1,108, across 21 seasons to 13. 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).
Bob Lemon — 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, WHIP, and K/9, while Bob Lemon owns ERA. 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 Bob Lemon and Curt Schilling careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Bob Lemon's ended in 1958, and Curt Schilling debuted in 1988. With 460 games against 569 across 13 and 21 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Bob Lemon's edges on the table are complete games (188 to 83), shutouts (31 to 20), and ERA (3.23 to 3.46). By rate, Bob Lemon struck out 4.03 and walked 3.95 per nine innings; Curt Schilling struck out 8.60 and walked 1.96. Bob Lemon was mainly a starter (350 starts in 460 games), and Curt Schilling was mainly a starter (436 starts in 569 games). Curt Schilling allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.14 WHIP to Bob Lemon's 1.34.
Bob Lemon vs Curt Schilling: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bob Lemon or Curt Schilling?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Curt Schilling leads Bob Lemon in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bob Lemon, with 3.23 to Curt Schilling's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Curt Schilling, with 216 to Bob Lemon's 207.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Bob Lemon's 1,277.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Curt Schilling, with 1.14 to Bob Lemon's 1.34.