Tarik Skubal vs Fernando Valenzuela: Career Stats Comparison
Fernando Valenzuela 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). Tarik Skubal has played 2020–present 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
Tarik Skubal (2020–present) and Fernando Valenzuela (1980–1997) — breaking in during the 2020s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Tarik Skubal has 66 wins and 1,075 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; 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? Tarik Skubal, with 3.02 to Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Fernando Valenzuela, with 173 to Tarik Skubal's 66.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Fernando Valenzuela, with 2,074 to Tarik Skubal's 1,075.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tarik Skubal, with 1.01 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Fernando Valenzuela, with 2,930.0 to Tarik Skubal's 925.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Fernando Valenzuela, with 31 to Tarik Skubal's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Fernando Valenzuela, with 30,102 career Pitcher PIV to Tarik Skubal's 20,288.
Tarik Skubal
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, and the 2020s and the 1980s 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 | Tarik Skubal | Fernando Valenzuela |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 66 | Leads: 173 |
| Losses not scored | 44 | 153 |
| Games | 163 | Leads: 453 |
| Games Started | 160 | Leads: 424 |
| Complete Games | 1 | Leads: 113 |
| Shutouts | 1 | Leads: 31 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 2 |
| Strikeouts | 1,075 | Leads: 2,074 |
| Walks not scored | 199 | 1,151 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 740 | 2,718 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 104 | 226 |
| Innings Pitched | 925.1 | Leads: 2,930.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.02 | 3.54 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.01 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.46 | 6.37 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.94 | 3.54 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Fernando Valenzuela outpaces Tarik Skubal 30,102 to 20,288 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Fernando Valenzuela played 18 seasons to Tarik Skubal's 6, while Tarik Skubal carries the higher per-season figure (3,381 to 1,672). 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).
Tarik Skubal — 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, Fernando Valenzuela leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Tarik Skubal owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Fernando Valenzuela. PIV agrees: Fernando Valenzuela grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tarik Skubal and Fernando Valenzuela careers compare
Fernando Valenzuela (1980–1997) was finished before Tarik Skubal (2020–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 163 games of Tarik Skubal with 453 of Fernando Valenzuela across 6 and 18 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Tarik Skubal are ERA (3.02 to 3.54), WHIP (1.01 to 1.32), and strikeouts per nine (10.46 to 6.37). By rate, Tarik Skubal struck out 10.46 and walked 1.94 per nine innings; Fernando Valenzuela struck out 6.37 and walked 3.54. Tarik Skubal was mainly a starter (160 starts in 163 games), and Fernando Valenzuela was mainly a starter (424 starts in 453 games). Because Tarik Skubal is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Tarik Skubal vs Fernando Valenzuela: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tarik Skubal or Fernando Valenzuela?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fernando Valenzuela leads Tarik Skubal in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Tarik Skubal, with 3.02 to Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Fernando Valenzuela, with 173 to Tarik Skubal's 66.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Fernando Valenzuela, with 2,074 to Tarik Skubal's 1,075.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tarik Skubal, with 1.01 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.