Hal Newhouser 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). Hal Newhouser played 1939–1955 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
Hal Newhouser (1939–1955) and Curt Schilling (1988–2007) — breaking in during the 1930s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Hal Newhouser finished with 207 wins and 1,796 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? Hal Newhouser, with 3.06 to Curt Schilling's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Curt Schilling, with 216 to Hal Newhouser's 207.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Hal Newhouser's 1,796.
- Who had the better WHIP? Curt Schilling, with 1.14 to Hal Newhouser's 1.31.
- Who pitched more innings? Curt Schilling, with 3,261.0 to Hal Newhouser's 2,993.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Hal Newhouser, with 33 to Curt Schilling's 20.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Curt Schilling, with 98,246 career Pitcher PIV to Hal Newhouser's 43,492.
Hal Newhouser
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 1930s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hal Newhouser | Curt Schilling |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 207 | Leads: 216 |
| Losses not scored | 150 | 146 |
| Games | 488 | Leads: 569 |
| Games Started | 374 | Leads: 436 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 212 | 83 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 33 | 20 |
| Saves | Leads: 26 | 22 |
| Strikeouts | 1,796 | Leads: 3,116 |
| Walks not scored | 1,249 | 711 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,674 | 2,998 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 137 | 347 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,993.0 | Leads: 3,261.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.06 | 3.46 |
| WHIP | 1.31 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.40 | Leads: 8.60 |
| BB/9 | 3.76 | Leads: 1.96 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Curt Schilling outpaces Hal Newhouser 98,246 to 43,492 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,678 PIV per season to 2,558, across 21 seasons to 17. 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).
Hal Newhouser — 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 Hal Newhouser 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 Hal Newhouser and Curt Schilling careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Hal Newhouser's ended in 1955, and Curt Schilling debuted in 1988. The two careers are close in length, 488 games for Hal Newhouser and 569 for Curt Schilling across 17 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Hal Newhouser are complete games (212 to 83), shutouts (33 to 20), and saves (26 to 22). The per-nine rows read 5.40 strikeouts and 3.76 walks for Hal Newhouser, 8.60 and 1.96 for Curt Schilling. Both had the same role: Hal Newhouser was mainly a starter (374 starts in 488 games); Curt Schilling was mainly a starter (436 starts in 569 games).
Hal Newhouser vs Curt Schilling: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hal Newhouser or Curt Schilling?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Curt Schilling leads Hal Newhouser in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Hal Newhouser, with 3.06 to Curt Schilling's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Curt Schilling, with 216 to Hal Newhouser's 207.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Hal Newhouser's 1,796.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Curt Schilling, with 1.14 to Hal Newhouser's 1.31.