Phil Niekro vs Paul Skenes: Career Stats Comparison
Phil Niekro 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). Phil Niekro played 1964–1987 as a pitcher; Paul Skenes has played 2024–present 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
Phil Niekro (1964–1987) and Paul Skenes (2024–present) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Phil Niekro finished with 318 wins and 3,342 strikeouts; Paul Skenes has 31 wins and 586 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Phil Niekro's 3.35.
- Who won more games? Phil Niekro, with 318 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Phil Niekro, with 3,342 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP? Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Phil Niekro's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Phil Niekro, with 5,404.1 to Paul Skenes's 495.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Phil Niekro, with 45 to Paul Skenes's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Paul Skenes, with 14,331 career Pitcher PIV to Phil Niekro's 13,102.
Phil Niekro
Paul Skenes
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 1960s and the 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Paul Skenes is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Phil Niekro | Paul Skenes |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 318 | 31 |
| Losses not scored | 274 | 24 |
| Games | Leads: 864 | 87 |
| Games Started | Leads: 716 | 87 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 245 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 45 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 29 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,342 | 586 |
| Walks not scored | 1,809 | 123 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 5,044 | 376 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 482 | 41 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,404.1 | 495.0 |
| ERA | 3.35 | Leads: 2.62 |
| WHIP | 1.27 | Leads: 1.01 |
| K/9 | 5.57 | Leads: 10.65 |
| BB/9 | 3.01 | Leads: 2.24 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Paul Skenes leads Phil Niekro 14,331 to 13,102 — driven by per-season impact — 7,166 PIV per season to 504 — rather than by longevity, since Paul Skenes played 2 seasons to Phil Niekro's 26. 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).
Phil Niekro — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Paul Skenes — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Paul Skenes leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Phil Niekro owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Paul Skenes. PIV agrees: Paul Skenes grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Phil Niekro and Paul Skenes careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Phil Niekro's ended in 1987, and Paul Skenes debuted in 2024. Phil Niekro has the far longer record, 864 games against 87 across 26 and 2 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Paul Skenes are ERA (2.62 to 3.35), WHIP (1.01 to 1.27), and strikeouts per nine (10.65 to 5.57). The per-nine rows read 5.57 strikeouts and 3.01 walks for Phil Niekro, 10.65 and 2.24 for Paul Skenes. Both had the same role: Phil Niekro was mainly a starter (716 starts in 864 games); Paul Skenes was mainly a starter (87 starts in 87 games). Because Paul Skenes is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Phil Niekro vs Paul Skenes: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Phil Niekro or Paul Skenes?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Phil Niekro leads Paul Skenes in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Phil Niekro's 3.35.
- Who won more games?
- Phil Niekro, with 318 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Phil Niekro, with 3,342 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Phil Niekro's 1.27.