Satchel Paige vs Tarik Skubal: Career Stats Comparison
Satchel Paige has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Tarik Skubal has played 2020–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
Satchel Paige (1948–1965) and Tarik Skubal (2020–present) — breaking in during the 1940s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Satchel Paige finished with 143 wins and 1,695 strikeouts; Tarik Skubal has 66 wins and 1,075 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. 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 Tarik Skubal's 3.02.
- Who won more games? Satchel Paige, with 143 to Tarik Skubal's 66.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Satchel Paige, with 1,695 to Tarik Skubal's 1,075.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tarik Skubal, with 1.01 to Satchel Paige's 1.11.
- Who pitched more innings? Satchel Paige, with 1,962.2 to Tarik Skubal's 925.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Satchel Paige, with 28 to Tarik Skubal's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Satchel Paige, with 77,694 career Pitcher PIV to Tarik Skubal's 20,288.
Satchel Paige
Tarik Skubal
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 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Tarik Skubal is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Satchel Paige | Tarik Skubal |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 143 | 66 |
| Losses not scored | 89 | 44 |
| Games | Leads: 438 | 163 |
| Games Started | Leads: 226 | 160 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 116 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 28 | 1 |
| Saves | Leads: 47 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,695 | 1,075 |
| Walks not scored | 533 | 199 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,647 | 740 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 66 | 104 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,962.2 | 925.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.77 | 3.02 |
| WHIP | 1.11 | Leads: 1.01 |
| K/9 | 7.77 | Leads: 10.46 |
| BB/9 | 2.44 | Leads: 1.94 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Satchel Paige outpaces Tarik Skubal 77,694 to 20,288 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Satchel Paige played 28 seasons to Tarik Skubal's 6, while Tarik Skubal carries the higher per-season figure (3,381 to 2,775). 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)
Tarik Skubal — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Satchel Paige leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Tarik Skubal owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Satchel Paige. PIV agrees: Satchel Paige 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 Tarik Skubal careers compare
No season is shared: Satchel Paige played 1948–1965, Tarik Skubal 2020–present. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Satchel Paige appeared in 438 games to Tarik Skubal's 163. Tarik Skubal's edges on the table are WHIP (1.01 to 1.11), strikeouts per nine (10.46 to 7.77), and walks per nine (1.94 to 2.44). The per-nine rows read 7.77 strikeouts and 2.44 walks for Satchel Paige, 10.46 and 1.94 for Tarik Skubal. Their roles differ: Satchel Paige split time between starting and relief (226 starts in 438 games); Tarik Skubal was mainly a starter (160 starts in 163 games). Because Tarik Skubal is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Satchel Paige vs Tarik Skubal: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Satchel Paige or Tarik Skubal?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Satchel Paige leads Tarik Skubal in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Satchel Paige, with 2.77 to Tarik Skubal's 3.02.
- Who won more games?
- Satchel Paige, with 143 to Tarik Skubal's 66.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Satchel Paige, with 1,695 to Tarik Skubal's 1,075.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tarik Skubal, with 1.01 to Satchel Paige's 1.11.