Tom Seaver vs Tarik Skubal: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Seaver has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Tarik Skubal has played 2020–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 Tarik Skubal (2020–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; Tarik Skubal has 66 wins and 1,075 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Tom Seaver, with 2.86 to Tarik Skubal's 3.02.
- Who won more games? Tom Seaver, with 311 to Tarik Skubal's 66.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Seaver, with 3,640 to Tarik Skubal's 1,075.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tarik Skubal, with 1.01 to Tom Seaver's 1.12.
- Who pitched more innings? Tom Seaver, with 4,782.2 to Tarik Skubal's 925.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tom Seaver, with 61 to Tarik Skubal's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tom Seaver, with 79,192 career Pitcher PIV to Tarik Skubal's 20,288.
Tom Seaver
Tarik Skubal
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.
Tarik Skubal is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Tom Seaver | Tarik Skubal |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 311 | 66 |
| Losses not scored | 205 | 44 |
| Games | Leads: 656 | 163 |
| Games Started | Leads: 647 | 160 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 231 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 61 | 1 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,640 | 1,075 |
| Walks not scored | 1,390 | 199 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,971 | 740 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 380 | 104 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,782.2 | 925.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.86 | 3.02 |
| WHIP | 1.12 | Leads: 1.01 |
| K/9 | 6.85 | Leads: 10.46 |
| BB/9 | 2.62 | Leads: 1.94 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tom Seaver outpaces Tarik Skubal 79,192 to 20,288 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,600 PIV per season to 3,381, across 22 seasons to 6. 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)
Tarik Skubal — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tom Seaver leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Tarik Skubal owns 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 Tarik Skubal careers compare
No season is shared: Tom Seaver played 1967–1986, Tarik Skubal 2020–present. Tom Seaver has the far longer record, 656 games against 163 across 22 and 6 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Tarik Skubal's edges on the table are WHIP (1.01 to 1.12), strikeouts per nine (10.46 to 6.85), and walks per nine (1.94 to 2.62). The per-nine rows read 6.85 strikeouts and 2.62 walks for Tom Seaver, 10.46 and 1.94 for Tarik Skubal. Tom Seaver was mainly a starter (647 starts in 656 games), and Tarik Skubal was mainly a starter (160 starts in 163 games). The complete-game row, 231 against 1, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. Because Tarik Skubal is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Tom Seaver vs Tarik Skubal: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tom Seaver or Tarik Skubal?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tom Seaver leads Tarik Skubal in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Tom Seaver, with 2.86 to Tarik Skubal's 3.02.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Seaver, with 311 to Tarik Skubal's 66.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Seaver, with 3,640 to Tarik Skubal's 1,075.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tarik Skubal, with 1.01 to Tom Seaver's 1.12.