Robin Roberts vs Curt Simmons: Career Stats Comparison

Robin Roberts has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 statistical categories compared on this page. Robin Roberts played 1948–1966 as a pitcher; Curt Simmons played 1947–1967 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

Robin Roberts (1948–1966) and Curt Simmons (1947–1967) — both came up during the 1940s, so the matchup is a direct one. Robin Roberts compiled 286 wins and 2,357 strikeouts; Curt Simmons put up 193 wins and 1,697 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Quick answer

  • Who had the better ERA? Robin Roberts, with 3.41 to Curt Simmons's 3.54.
  • Who won more games? Robin Roberts, with 286 to Curt Simmons's 193.
  • Who recorded more strikeouts? Robin Roberts, with 2,357 to Curt Simmons's 1,697.
  • Who had the better WHIP? Robin Roberts, with 1.17 to Curt Simmons's 1.31.
  • Who pitched more innings? Robin Roberts, with 4,688 to Curt Simmons's 3,348.
  • Who threw more shutouts? Robin Roberts, with 45 to Curt Simmons's 36.
  • Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Robin Roberts, with 49,794 career Pitcher PIV to Curt Simmons's 32,211.
Leads Robin Roberts 11 of 12 awarded categories
Pitcher PIV edge Robin Roberts +17,583
Read the verdict ↓

Robin Roberts

Pitcher · 1948–1966
Wins
286
Losses
245
Strikeouts
2,357
ERA
3.41
WHIP
1.17
IP
4,688
View Robin Roberts's full profile →

Curt Simmons

Pitcher · 1947–1967
Wins
193
Losses
183
Strikeouts
1,697
ERA
3.54
WHIP
1.31
IP
3,348
View Curt Simmons's full profile →

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. 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: compare them with the era in mind, or use the PIV card below, which is.

Robin Roberts vs Curt Simmons: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Robin Roberts Curt Simmons
Wins Leads: 286 193
Losses 245 183
Games Leads: 676 569
Games Started Leads: 609 462
Complete Games Leads: 305 163
Shutouts Leads: 45 36
Saves Leads: 25 5
Strikeouts Leads: 2,357 1,697
Walks 902 1,063
Hits Allowed 4,582 3,313
Home Runs Allowed 505 255
Innings Pitched Leads: 4,688 3,348
ERA Leads: 3.41 3.54
WHIP Leads: 1.17 1.31
K/9 4.52 Leads: 4.56
BB/9 Leads: 1.73 2.86

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Robin Roberts outpaces Curt Simmons 49,794 to 32,211 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,371 vs 1,400 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Robin Roberts
49,794
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,371 per season (21 seasons)
Curt Simmons
32,211
Career Pitcher PIV · 1,400 per season (23 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).

Robin Roberts — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19522.59 ERA28-7, 148 K in 330 IP
19532.75 ERA23-16, 198 K in 346 IP
19622.78 ERA10-9, 102 K in 191 IP

Curt Simmons — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19632.48 ERA15-9, 127 K in 232 IP
19602.66 ERA7-4, 63 K in 152 IP
19542.81 ERA14-15, 125 K in 253 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Robin Roberts leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Curt Simmons owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Robin Roberts. PIV agrees: Robin Roberts grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

Related Matchups

Robin Roberts vs Curt Simmons: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Robin Roberts or Curt Simmons?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Robin Roberts leads Curt Simmons in 11 of 12 categories.
Who had the better ERA?
Robin Roberts, with 3.41 to Curt Simmons's 3.54.
Who won more games?
Robin Roberts, with 286 to Curt Simmons's 193.
Who recorded more strikeouts?
Robin Roberts, with 2,357 to Curt Simmons's 1,697.
Who had the better WHIP?
Robin Roberts, with 1.17 to Curt Simmons's 1.31.

See These Players in Another Era