Curt Schilling vs Carlos Zambrano: 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; Carlos Zambrano 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 Carlos Zambrano (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; Carlos Zambrano finished with 132 wins and 1,637 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 Carlos Zambrano's 3.66.
- Who won more games? Curt Schilling, with 216 to Carlos Zambrano's 132.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Carlos Zambrano's 1,637.
- Who had the better WHIP? Curt Schilling, with 1.14 to Carlos Zambrano's 1.33.
- Who pitched more innings? Curt Schilling, with 3,261.0 to Carlos Zambrano's 1,959.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Curt Schilling, with 20 to Carlos Zambrano's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Curt Schilling, with 98,246 career Pitcher PIV to Carlos Zambrano's 16,362.
Curt Schilling
Carlos Zambrano
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 | Carlos Zambrano |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 216 | 132 |
| Losses not scored | 146 | 91 |
| Games | Leads: 569 | 354 |
| Games Started | Leads: 436 | 302 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 83 | 10 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 20 | 5 |
| Saves | Leads: 22 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,116 | 1,637 |
| Walks not scored | 711 | 898 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,998 | 1,709 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 347 | 161 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,261.0 | 1,959.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.46 | 3.66 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.33 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.60 | 7.52 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.96 | 4.13 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Curt Schilling outpaces Carlos Zambrano 98,246 to 16,362 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,678 PIV per season to 1,364, across 21 seasons to 12. 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)
Carlos Zambrano — 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 Carlos Zambrano 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 Carlos Zambrano careers compare
Curt Schilling and Carlos Zambrano were active at the same time between 2001 and 2007. Curt Schilling has the far longer record, 569 games against 354 across 21 and 12 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Every scored category on the table goes to Curt Schilling. The per-nine rows read 8.60 strikeouts and 1.96 walks for Curt Schilling, 7.52 and 4.13 for Carlos Zambrano. Curt Schilling was mainly a starter (436 starts in 569 games), and Carlos Zambrano was mainly a starter (302 starts in 354 games). Complete games (83 to 10) show how differently the two eras used starters. In WHIP, Curt Schilling's 1.14 beats Carlos Zambrano's 1.33.
Curt Schilling vs Carlos Zambrano: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Curt Schilling or Carlos Zambrano?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Curt Schilling leads Carlos Zambrano in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Curt Schilling, with 3.46 to Carlos Zambrano's 3.66.
- Who won more games?
- Curt Schilling, with 216 to Carlos Zambrano's 132.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Carlos Zambrano's 1,637.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Curt Schilling, with 1.14 to Carlos Zambrano's 1.33.