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In 2019, Mike Mussina was selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his sixth year of eligibility with 76.7% of the vote, just barely clearing the 75% threshold needed for induction. In contrast, Curt Schilling, in his seventh year of eligibility, finished on the outside looking in with 60.9% of votes; in 2020, he continued to inch closer to induction, but missed out once again with 70.0% of votes. While there has been much speculation about Schilling’s personality, political affiliations, and other post-career activities hurting his Hall of Fame chances, interestingly, when you look at the careers and accomplishments of Mussina and Schilling side-by-side, they are actually very comparable – thus, this leads to the question:
Who was better – Mike Mussina or Curt Schilling?
The Beginning
Whereas Mussina quickly became a star major league pitcher, Schilling took a more unconventional route to stardom, bouncing around as a reliever for many years before finally becoming a full-time starter.
Born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania (the home of the Little League World Series), Mussina starred in baseball, basketball, and football in high school, and was drafted in the 11th round of the 1987 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles. He chose to attend Stanford instead; in three years there, he made two College World Series appearances and was an All-American, ultimately leading to the Orioles selecting him again in the 1990 MLB Draft, this time as the 20th overall pick in the first round. Following a couple of seasons in the minor leagues, Mussina was called up midway through the 1991 season and went 4-5 with a 2.87 ERA (139 ERA+, which is an advanced statistic that adjusts a pitcher’s ERA for both his ballpark and the league-wide ERA; 100 is average), a 1.12 WHIP, and 52 strikeouts in 87.2 innings pitched. In his first full season in 1992, he was an All-Star and finished fourth for the Cy Young, going 18-5 with a career-low 2.54 ERA (157 ERA+), 1.08 WHIP, and 130 strikeouts in 241.0 innings pitched.
As for Schilling, he was born in Alaska, but attended high school in Phoenix and later went to local Yavapai College in Arizona. In the 1986 MLB January Draft (the last January draft in league history), he was selected in the second round by the Boston Red Sox and spent a few seasons in their farm system before being traded along with Brady Anderson to the Baltimore Orioles in 1988 for Mike Boddicker. Though Schilling made his major league debut with the Orioles in 1988, he pitched sparingly in three seasons with the team, accumulating less than 100 total innings pitched. After one year with the Houston Astros in 1991, where he pitched in 56 games as a reliever, Schilling was once again traded in 1992, this time to the Philadelphia Phillies for Jason Grimsley, where he would get the chance to start.
Career Comparison
During the late 1990s and 2000s, Mussina and Schilling were each among the premier starting pitchers in baseball – both starred for multiple teams and racked up the wins and strikeouts, though each came up just shy of winning the Cy Young Award on numerous occasions.
Building on his 1992 All-Star campaign, Mussina was selected to three consecutive All-Star Games from 1992 to 1994, including another fourth-place Cy Young finish in the strike-shortened 1994 season: 16-5 record with a 3.06 ERA (164 ERA+), 1.16 WHIP, and 99 strikeouts in 176.1 innings pitched. The following year, he led the league in wins with a 19-9 record, a league-high 4 shutouts, a 3.29 ERA (145 ERA+), 1.07 WHIP, and 158 strikeouts in 221.2 innings; despite not making the All-Star team, he did finish fifth in Cy Young voting. Mussina posted another 19-win season in 1996 (19-11), though his ERA ballooned to 4.81, the worst mark of his Orioles career; nevertheless, he still finished fifth for the Cy Young and won the first of seven career Gold Gloves (first of four straight).
In 1997, Mussina returned to All-Star form with a 15-8 record, 3.20 ERA (137 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, and a career-high 218 strikeouts in 224.2 innings pitched, resulting in a sixth-place Cy Young finish. His highest Cy Young finish was second in 1999 to Pedro Martinez, though it was not necessarily the finest season of his career: 18-7 with a 3.50 ERA (133 ERA+), a 1.27 WHIP, and 172 strikeouts in 203.1 innings pitched, also marking his final All-Star selection. After posting his only losing record in a full season in 2000 (11-15 record, though he did lead the league in innings pitched and still placed sixth for Cy Young), Mussina became a free agent and signed with the division rival New York Yankees.
Following a decade in Baltimore, Mussina would spend eight seasons in New York as a top-of-the-rotation starter and strong veteran presence. In his first year with the Yankees, he went 17-11 with a 3.15 ERA (143 ERA+), a career-low 1.07 WHIP, and 214 strikeouts in 228.2 innings pitched to again finish top-five in the Cy Young race and win another Gold Glove. However, this was arguably his best year with the Yankees, as he posted an ERA above 4.00 in half of his seasons in pinstripes and was never an All-Star. Mussina remained a workhorse, though, and did win another Gold Glove in 2003 with a 17-8 record, 3.40 ERA (130 ERA+), 1.08 WHIP, and 195 strikeouts in 214.2 innings pitched, his ninth straight 200-inning season. Two mediocre seasons with ERAs above 4.00 followed, before he bounced back with a 15-7 record, 3.51 ERA (129 ERA+), 1.11 WHIP, and 172 strikeouts in 197.1 innings pitched. Believe it or not, Mussina only had one 20-win season in his career, and it actually came in his final season in 2008: 20-9 with a 3.37 ERA (131 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, and 150 strikeouts in 200.1 innings pitched, earning another Gold Glove and a sixth-place Cy Young finish, and making him the oldest first-time 20-game winner in MLB history. Subsequently, Mussina retired after the season at age 39, the first pitcher to retire immediately after a 20-win season since Sandy Koufax in 1966.
Contemporaneously, Schilling became a full-time starter for the Phillies in 1992, going 14-11 with a career-best 2.35 ERA (150 ERA+), a league-best 0.99 WHIP, and 147 strikeouts in 226.1 innings pitched; this was followed by a 16-7 season in 1993, though his ERA jumped to 4.02. After battling a stretch of mediocrity between 1994 and 1996, when he went a combined 18-23 over three seasons, Schilling posted three consecutive All-Star seasons:
- 1997: 17-11 with a 2.97 ERA (143 ERA+), 1.05 WHIP, and a league-high 319 strikeouts in 254.1 innings pitched; finished fourth for the Cy Young
- 1998: 15-14 with a 3.25 ERA (134 ERA+), 1.11 WHIP, and a league-high 300 strikeouts in a league-leading 268.2 innings pitched; also led the league with a career-high 15 complete games
- 1999: 15-6 with a 3.54 ER (135 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, and 152 strikeouts in 180.1 innings pitched
Midway through the 2000 season, Schilling was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Travis Lee, Vicente Padilla, Omar Daal, and Nelson Figueroa.
Out in the desert, Schilling teamed with Randy Johnson to form one of the most potent one-two pitching punches in baseball, and had two straight 20-win All-Star campaigns, finishing second for the Cy Young in both years (to Johnson) and 10th for league MVP:
- 2001: led the league in wins with a 22-6 record, a 2.98 ERA (157 ERA+), 1.08 WHIP, and 293 strikeouts in a league-high 256.2 innings pitched
- 2002: career-best 23-7 record with a 3.23 ERA (140 ERA+), a league-leading and career-best 0.97 WHIP, and 316 strikeouts in 259.1 innings pitched
Following an 8-9 season with a 2.95 ERA in 2003, Schilling was once again traded, this time to the Boston Red Sox for Casey Fossum, Mike Goss, and Brandon Lyon.
During his first season with Boston, Schilling was again an All-Star, leading the league with a 21-6 record, 3.26 ERA (148 ERA+), 1.06 WHIP, and 203 strikeouts in 226.2 innings pitched; again, he finished second for the Cy Young, this time to Johan Santana. He struggled in 2005, starting the season on the disabled list, and later alternating between starter and closer (8-8 record with 9 saves and a 5.69 ERA). Nevertheless, he bounced back with another 15-win season in 2006 and also reached the 3,000-strikeout milestone for his career. Following the 2007 season, Schilling signed a one-year deal with the Red Sox at age 40, but never pitched again due to a shoulder injury, officially retiring from baseball in 2009.
Though Schilling played 20 major league seasons to Mussina’s 18, the latter actually pitched more career innings due to a combination of being a full-time starter right from the get-go and better overall durability. As a result, Mussina won more career games (and also lost slightly more), but Schilling has better career ratios (ERA, ERA+, and WHIP), and more career strikeouts; on a year-by-year breakdown, Mussina holds the lead in 15-win seasons (11x vs. 8x), but Schilling leads in All-Star selections (6x vs. 5x), 20-win seasons (3x vs. 1x) and 200-strikeout seasons (5x vs. 4x, including 3x vs. none for 300-strikeout seasons). On an advanced metrics basis, Mussina’s better consistency and longevity results in a slightly higher career Wins Above Replacement (WAR) at 82.8 to 79.5. As mentioned earlier, despite the similarities between their careers, Mussina was a 2019 Hall of Fame selection, while Schilling remains on the outside looking in, but continues to edge closer with each passing year.
Regular Season Statistics
| Mike Mussina | Player | Curt Schilling |
| 18 (1991-2008) | Seasons | 20 (1988-2007) |
| 537 | Games Played | 569 |
| 3,562.2 | Innings Pitched | 3,261.0 |
| 270-153 | W-L Record | 216-146 |
| – | Saves | 22 |
| 3.68 | ERA | 3.46 |
| 123 | ERA+ | 127 |
| 1.19 | WHIP | 1.14 |
| 2,813 | Strikeouts | 3,116 |
| 23 | Shutouts | 20 |
| 82.8 | Wins Above Replacement | 79.5 |
| 5x | All-Star Games | 6x |
| – | MVP | – |
| – | Cy Young | – |
| – | World Series Titles | 3x |
| 7x Gold Glove | Other Awards | – |
| 2019 | Hall of Fame Induction | – |
Source: Baseball-Reference.com
With regards to postseason play, ironically, Mussina left the Orioles and joined the Yankees to win a World Series, yet fell just short a couple of times with New York right after their 2000s peak; meanwhile, Schilling may not have had as many total playoff appearances, but certainly capitalized on title opportunities to the full extent. Interestingly, the two pitchers met head-to-head in the 2001 World Series, one of the more memorable baseball championships of the early 21st century.
In the 2001 World Series between the Yankees and the Diamondbacks, Mussina and Schilling faced off in Game 1 – Schilling got the win, pitching 7 innings with 1 earned run and 8 strikeouts, while Mussina only lasted 3 innings and gave up 5 runs (3 earned). They would meet again in Game 5, with both players pitching well in a game ultimately won by New York in extra innings – Mussina pitched 8 innings with 2 earned runs and 10 strikeouts, while Schilling threw 7 innings with 1 earned run and 9 strikeouts. On short rest, Schilling came back to start Game 7 and ended up only yielding 2 earned runs in 7.1 innings pitched with 9 strikeouts; Randy Johnson would come on in relief and get the win, as the Diamondbacks would come back in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the World Series in walk-off fashion vs. legendary Yankees closer Mariano Rivera. For his stellar play, Schilling was named co-World Series MVP alongside Johnson, and the two men also shared the Babe Ruth Award for best postseason performance and were named Sports Illustrated’s 2001 Sportsmen of the Year.
Overall, Mussina made nine playoff appearances (2x with Baltimore and 7x with New York), including two World Series trips with the Yankees, though fell just short of capturing a title. In addition to 2001, he also played in the 2003 World Series – in a six-game loss to the upstart Florida Marlins, Mussina won Game 3, pitching 7 innings and giving up 1 earned run with 9 strikeouts.
Though Schilling only appeared in the postseason 5x during his career, he made them count with four World Series trips and three titles. In 1993, he was named MVP of the NLCS in a six-game victory over the Tom Glavine and John Smoltz-led Atlanta Braves with a stellar 1.69 ERA and 19 strikeouts over 16.0 innings pitched, though earned two no-decisions; ultimately, Philadelphia lost in the World Series in six games to the Toronto Blue Jays. Later, as a member of the Red Sox, Schilling notably won Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS vs. Derek Jeter and the Yankees in his infamous “bloody sock” game to force Game 7; Boston prevailed and went on to sweep Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series for their first title in 86 years. Finally, in a 2007 World Series sweep of the Colorado Rockies, Schilling was again strong, winning Game 2 for the Red Sox. Overall, his 11-2 postseason record is the best winning percentage of any pitcher with at least 10 playoff decisions.
Playoff Statistics
| Mike Mussina | Player | Curt Schilling |
| 23 | Games Played | 19 |
| 139.2 | Innings Pitched | 133.1 |
| 7-8 | W-L Record | 11-2 |
| – | Saves | – |
| 3.42 | ERA | 2.23 |
| 1.10 | WHIP | 0.97 |
| 145 | Strikeouts | 120 |
| – | Shutouts | 2 |
Source: Baseball-Reference.com
Every athlete goes through a natural career lifecycle, from starting off as a rookie to reaching peak years of performance and finally, declining into the inevitable retirement due to a combination of age and/or injury; Mussina was actually extremely durable and consistent even right up to his last season (the only 20-win season of his career), though Schilling was plagued by injuries during his time with Boston and ultimately forced to retire as a result of them. For Hall of Fame caliber players across sports, I like to look at a concept I call a “decade of dominance.” The thinking behind this is that for most Hall of Fame type careers, there are roughly 10 great seasons that define an athlete (this idea is embodied in a sense by the NFL’s All-Decade teams), though due to injury or other factors, they might not be 10 consecutive years.
Decade of Dominance
| Mike Mussina | Player | Curt Schilling |
| 1992, 1994-1995, 1997-1999, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008 | Decade of Dominance | 1992-1993, 1997-1999, 2001-2004, 2006 |
| 312 | Games Played | 328 |
| 2,114.1 | Innings Pitched | 2,279.2 |
| 168-79 | W-L Record | 166-84 |
| – | Saves | 2 |
| 3.24 | ERA | 3.24 |
| 1.13 | WHIP | 1.08 |
| 1,683 | Strikeouts | 2,293 |
| 15 | Shutouts | 15 |
| 58.4 | Wins Above Replacement | 62.7 |
Source: Baseball-Reference.com
When you normalize their respective careers to decades of dominance, this timeframe shows Schilling to be the better pitcher, albeit it remains very close – Mussina had a slightly better record and they had nearly identical ERAs, but Schilling’s WHIP was lower and he recorded significantly more strikeouts, ultimately resulting in a higher WAR over the 10 seasons.
My Thoughts
While they were not quite of the same caliber as the likes of Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, or Greg Maddux, Mike Mussina and Curt Schilling were nevertheless two of the premier pitchers of their generation. Between their respective careers, I would summarize as follows – year in and year out, Mussina was the more consistent and durable pitcher, i.e. you could always count on him to be a top-10 starting pitcher in the league and win around 15 games. However, despite his late start and more frequent injury issues, Schilling was in my opinion the more dominant arm – he won 20+ games more frequently, could strike out 300+ batters in a season, likely would have won at least one Cy Young had it not been for his teammate Johnson’s historic dominance, and was an all-time great postseason pitcher. Whatever you think of Schilling off the baseball field, given Mussina is a Hall of Famer, I firmly believe Schilling should be as well – should the upwards trend continue, he will potentially (and rightfully) get the call in a couple of years time.
Thus, after weighing their careers against each other in terms of statistics, achievements, and impact, the winner of this faceoff is:
Curt Schilling
As always, vote for your choice and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Further Reading
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