Curt Schilling vs Fernando Valenzuela: Career Stats Comparison
Curt Schilling has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Fernando Valenzuela played 1980–1997 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 Fernando Valenzuela (1980–1997) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Curt Schilling finished with 216 wins and 3,116 strikeouts; Fernando Valenzuela finished with 173 wins and 2,074 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 Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Curt Schilling, with 216 to Fernando Valenzuela's 173.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP? Curt Schilling, with 1.14 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Curt Schilling, with 3,261.0 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,930.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Fernando Valenzuela, with 31 to Curt Schilling's 20.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Curt Schilling, with 98,246 career Pitcher PIV to Fernando Valenzuela's 30,102.
Curt Schilling
Fernando Valenzuela
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Curt Schilling | Fernando Valenzuela |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 216 | 173 |
| Losses not scored | 146 | 153 |
| Games | Leads: 569 | 453 |
| Games Started | Leads: 436 | 424 |
| Complete Games | 83 | Leads: 113 |
| Shutouts | 20 | Leads: 31 |
| Saves | Leads: 22 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,116 | 2,074 |
| Walks not scored | 711 | 1,151 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,998 | 2,718 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 347 | 226 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,261.0 | 2,930.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.46 | 3.54 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.60 | 6.37 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.96 | 3.54 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Curt Schilling outpaces Fernando Valenzuela 98,246 to 30,102 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,678 PIV per season to 1,672, across 21 seasons to 18. 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)
Fernando Valenzuela — 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 Fernando Valenzuela 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 Fernando Valenzuela careers compare
From 1988 through 1997, Curt Schilling and Fernando Valenzuela were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 569 games for Curt Schilling and 453 for Fernando Valenzuela across 21 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Fernando Valenzuela are complete games (113 to 83) and shutouts (31 to 20). The per-nine rows read 8.60 strikeouts and 1.96 walks for Curt Schilling, 6.37 and 3.54 for Fernando Valenzuela. Curt Schilling was mainly a starter (436 starts in 569 games), and Fernando Valenzuela was mainly a starter (424 starts in 453 games). Curt Schilling allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.14 WHIP to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.
Curt Schilling vs Fernando Valenzuela: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Curt Schilling or Fernando Valenzuela?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Curt Schilling leads Fernando Valenzuela in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Curt Schilling, with 3.46 to Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Curt Schilling, with 216 to Fernando Valenzuela's 173.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Curt Schilling, with 1.14 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.