Satchel Paige vs Curt Schilling: Career Stats Comparison
Curt Schilling has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Satchel Paige played 1948–1965 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
Satchel Paige (1948–1965) and Curt Schilling (1988–2007) — breaking in during the 1940s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Satchel Paige finished with 143 wins and 1,695 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? Satchel Paige, with 2.77 to Curt Schilling's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Curt Schilling, with 216 to Satchel Paige's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Satchel Paige's 1,695.
- Who had the better WHIP? Satchel Paige, with 1.11 to Curt Schilling's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Curt Schilling, with 3,261.0 to Satchel Paige's 1,962.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Satchel Paige, with 28 to Curt Schilling's 20.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Curt Schilling, with 98,246 career Pitcher PIV to Satchel Paige's 77,694.
Satchel Paige
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 | Satchel Paige | Curt Schilling |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 143 | Leads: 216 |
| Losses not scored | 89 | 146 |
| Games | 438 | Leads: 569 |
| Games Started | 226 | Leads: 436 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 116 | 83 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 28 | 20 |
| Saves | Leads: 47 | 22 |
| Strikeouts | 1,695 | Leads: 3,116 |
| Walks not scored | 533 | 711 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,647 | 2,998 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 66 | 347 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,962.2 | Leads: 3,261.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.77 | 3.46 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.11 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | 7.77 | Leads: 8.60 |
| BB/9 | 2.44 | Leads: 1.96 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Curt Schilling leads Satchel Paige 98,246 to 77,694 — driven by per-season impact — 4,678 PIV per season to 2,775 — rather than by longevity, since Curt Schilling played 21 seasons to Satchel Paige's 28. 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).
Satchel Paige — 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, K/9, and innings pitched, while Satchel Paige owns ERA and WHIP. 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 Satchel Paige and Curt Schilling careers compare
No season is shared: Satchel Paige played 1948–1965, Curt Schilling 1988–2007. The two careers are close in length, 438 games for Satchel Paige and 569 for Curt Schilling across 28 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 7.77 strikeouts and 2.44 walks for Satchel Paige, 8.60 and 1.96 for Curt Schilling. Their roles differ: Satchel Paige split time between starting and relief (226 starts in 438 games); Curt Schilling was mainly a starter (436 starts in 569 games). Satchel Paige allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.11 WHIP to Curt Schilling's 1.14.
Satchel Paige vs Curt Schilling: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Satchel Paige or Curt Schilling?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Curt Schilling leads Satchel Paige in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Satchel Paige, with 2.77 to Curt Schilling's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Curt Schilling, with 216 to Satchel Paige's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Satchel Paige's 1,695.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Satchel Paige, with 1.11 to Curt Schilling's 1.14.