Tom Seaver vs Paul Skenes: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Seaver has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Tom Seaver played 1967–1986 as a pitcher; Paul Skenes has played 2024–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
Tom Seaver (1967–1986) and Paul Skenes (2024–present) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Tom Seaver finished with 311 wins and 3,640 strikeouts; Paul Skenes has 31 wins and 586 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Tom Seaver's 2.86.
- Who won more games? Tom Seaver, with 311 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Seaver, with 3,640 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP? Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Tom Seaver's 1.12.
- Who pitched more innings? Tom Seaver, with 4,782.2 to Paul Skenes's 495.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tom Seaver, with 61 to Paul Skenes's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tom Seaver, with 79,192 career Pitcher PIV to Paul Skenes's 14,331.
Tom Seaver
Paul Skenes
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 1960s and the 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Paul Skenes is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Tom Seaver | Paul Skenes |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 311 | 31 |
| Losses not scored | 205 | 24 |
| Games | Leads: 656 | 87 |
| Games Started | Leads: 647 | 87 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 231 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 61 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,640 | 586 |
| Walks not scored | 1,390 | 123 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,971 | 376 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 380 | 41 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,782.2 | 495.0 |
| ERA | 2.86 | Leads: 2.62 |
| WHIP | 1.12 | Leads: 1.01 |
| K/9 | 6.85 | Leads: 10.65 |
| BB/9 | 2.62 | Leads: 2.24 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tom Seaver outpaces Paul Skenes 79,192 to 14,331 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Tom Seaver played 22 seasons to Paul Skenes's 2, while Paul Skenes carries the higher per-season figure (7,166 to 3,600). 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).
Tom Seaver — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Paul Skenes — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tom Seaver leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Paul Skenes owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tom Seaver. PIV agrees: Tom Seaver grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tom Seaver and Paul Skenes careers compare
No season is shared: Tom Seaver played 1967–1986, Paul Skenes 2024–present. The table compares 656 games of Tom Seaver with 87 of Paul Skenes across 22 and 2 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Paul Skenes are ERA (2.62 to 2.86), WHIP (1.01 to 1.12), and strikeouts per nine (10.65 to 6.85). The per-nine rows read 6.85 strikeouts and 2.62 walks for Tom Seaver, 10.65 and 2.24 for Paul Skenes. Tom Seaver was mainly a starter (647 starts in 656 games), and Paul Skenes was mainly a starter (87 starts in 87 games). The complete-game row, 231 against 1, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. Because Paul Skenes is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Tom Seaver vs Paul Skenes: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tom Seaver or Paul Skenes?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tom Seaver leads Paul Skenes in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Tom Seaver's 2.86.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Seaver, with 311 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Seaver, with 3,640 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Tom Seaver's 1.12.