Paul Skenes vs Tarik Skubal: Career Stats Comparison
Tarik Skubal has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Paul Skenes has played 2024–present 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
Paul Skenes (2024–present) and Tarik Skubal (2020–present) — both came up during the 2020s, so the matchup is a direct one. Paul Skenes has 31 wins and 586 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; 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? Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Tarik Skubal's 3.02.
- Who won more games? Tarik Skubal, with 66 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tarik Skubal, with 1,075 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP? Neither — both are at 1.01.
- Who pitched more innings? Tarik Skubal, with 925.1 to Paul Skenes's 495.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tarik Skubal, with 1 to Paul Skenes's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tarik Skubal, with 20,288 career Pitcher PIV to Paul Skenes's 14,331.
Paul Skenes
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal are still active — their totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Paul Skenes | Tarik Skubal |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 31 | Leads: 66 |
| Losses not scored | 24 | 44 |
| Games | 87 | Leads: 163 |
| Games Started | 87 | Leads: 160 |
| Complete Games | 1 | 1 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 586 | Leads: 1,075 |
| Walks not scored | 123 | 199 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 376 | 740 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 41 | 104 |
| Innings Pitched | 495.0 | Leads: 925.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.62 | 3.02 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.01 | 1.01 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.65 | 10.46 |
| BB/9 | 2.24 | Leads: 1.94 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tarik Skubal outpaces Paul Skenes 20,288 to 14,331 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Tarik Skubal played 6 seasons to Paul Skenes's 2, while Paul Skenes carries the higher per-season figure (7,166 to 3,381). 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).
Paul Skenes — 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, Tarik Skubal 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 Tarik Skubal. PIV agrees: Tarik Skubal grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal careers compare
The two careers overlap from 2024 on, with both players still active. The table compares 87 games of Paul Skenes with 163 of Tarik Skubal across 2 and 6 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Paul Skenes are ERA (2.62 to 3.02), WHIP (1.01 to 1.01), and strikeouts per nine (10.65 to 10.46). The per-nine rows read 10.65 strikeouts and 2.24 walks for Paul Skenes, 10.46 and 1.94 for Tarik Skubal. Paul Skenes was mainly a starter (87 starts in 87 games), and Tarik Skubal was mainly a starter (160 starts in 163 games). In WHIP, Paul Skenes's 1.01 beats Tarik Skubal's 1.01. Because Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal are still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Paul Skenes vs Tarik Skubal: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Paul Skenes or Tarik Skubal?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tarik Skubal leads Paul Skenes in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Tarik Skubal's 3.02.
- Who won more games?
- Tarik Skubal, with 66 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tarik Skubal, with 1,075 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Neither — both are at 1.01.