Curt Schilling vs Ben Sheets: Career Stats Comparison
Curt Schilling has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Curt Schilling played 1988–2007 as a pitcher; Ben Sheets played 2001–2012 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
Curt Schilling (1988–2007) and Ben Sheets (2001–2012) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Curt Schilling finished with 216 wins and 3,116 strikeouts; Ben Sheets finished with 94 wins and 1,325 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Curt Schilling, with 3.46 to Ben Sheets's 3.78.
- Who won more games? Curt Schilling, with 216 to Ben Sheets's 94.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Ben Sheets's 1,325.
- Who had the better WHIP? Curt Schilling, with 1.14 to Ben Sheets's 1.22.
- Who pitched more innings? Curt Schilling, with 3,261.0 to Ben Sheets's 1,596.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Curt Schilling, with 20 to Ben Sheets's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Curt Schilling, with 98,246 career Pitcher PIV to Ben Sheets's 28,864.
Curt Schilling
Ben Sheets
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 1980s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Curt Schilling | Ben Sheets |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 216 | 94 |
| Losses not scored | 146 | 96 |
| Games | Leads: 569 | 250 |
| Games Started | Leads: 436 | 250 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 83 | 18 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 20 | 4 |
| Saves | Leads: 22 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,116 | 1,325 |
| Walks not scored | 711 | 369 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,998 | 1,577 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 347 | 184 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,261.0 | 1,596.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.46 | 3.78 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.22 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.60 | 7.47 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.96 | 2.08 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Curt Schilling outpaces Ben Sheets 98,246 to 28,864 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,678 PIV per season to 2,886, across 21 seasons to 10. 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).
Curt Schilling — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Ben Sheets — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Curt Schilling leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Ben Sheets owns no headline categories. 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 Curt Schilling and Ben Sheets careers compare
From 2001 through 2007, Curt Schilling and Ben Sheets were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Curt Schilling appeared in 569 games to Ben Sheets's 250. Every scored category on the table goes to Curt Schilling. By rate, Curt Schilling struck out 8.60 and walked 1.96 per nine innings; Ben Sheets struck out 7.47 and walked 2.08. Both had the same role: Curt Schilling was mainly a starter (436 starts in 569 games); Ben Sheets was mainly a starter (250 starts in 250 games). The complete-game row, 83 against 18, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games.
Curt Schilling vs Ben Sheets: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Curt Schilling or Ben Sheets?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Curt Schilling leads Ben Sheets in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Curt Schilling, with 3.46 to Ben Sheets's 3.78.
- Who won more games?
- Curt Schilling, with 216 to Ben Sheets's 94.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Ben Sheets's 1,325.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Curt Schilling, with 1.14 to Ben Sheets's 1.22.