Matt Cain vs Clayton Kershaw: Career Stats Comparison
Clayton Kershaw has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Matt Cain played 2005–2017 as a pitcher; Clayton Kershaw played 2008–2025 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
Matt Cain (2005–2017) and Clayton Kershaw (2008–2025) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Matt Cain finished with 104 wins and 1,694 strikeouts; Clayton Kershaw finished with 223 wins and 3,052 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Matt Cain's 3.68.
- Who won more games? Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Matt Cain's 104.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Matt Cain's 1,694.
- Who had the better WHIP? Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Matt Cain's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Clayton Kershaw, with 2,855.1 to Matt Cain's 2,085.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 15 to Matt Cain's 6.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Clayton Kershaw, with 93,455 career Pitcher PIV to Matt Cain's 14,596.
Matt Cain
Clayton Kershaw
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.
| Statistic | Matt Cain | Clayton Kershaw |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 104 | Leads: 223 |
| Losses not scored | 118 | 96 |
| Games | 342 | Leads: 455 |
| Games Started | 331 | Leads: 451 |
| Complete Games | 15 | Leads: 25 |
| Shutouts | 6 | Leads: 15 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,694 | Leads: 3,052 |
| Walks not scored | 712 | 713 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,849 | 2,193 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 211 | 235 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,085.2 | Leads: 2,855.1 |
| ERA | 3.68 | Leads: 2.53 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 1.02 |
| K/9 | 7.31 | Leads: 9.62 |
| BB/9 | 3.07 | Leads: 2.25 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw outpaces Matt Cain 93,455 to 14,596 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,192 PIV per season to 1,123, across 18 seasons to 13. 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).
Matt Cain — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Clayton Kershaw — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Clayton Kershaw leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Matt Cain owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Clayton Kershaw. PIV agrees: Clayton Kershaw grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Matt Cain and Clayton Kershaw careers compare
Matt Cain and Clayton Kershaw were active at the same time between 2008 and 2017. The two careers are close in length, 342 games for Matt Cain and 455 for Clayton Kershaw across 13 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Every scored category on the table goes to Clayton Kershaw. By rate, Matt Cain struck out 7.31 and walked 3.07 per nine innings; Clayton Kershaw struck out 9.62 and walked 2.25. Both had the same role: Matt Cain was mainly a starter (331 starts in 342 games); Clayton Kershaw was mainly a starter (451 starts in 455 games). In WHIP, Clayton Kershaw's 1.02 beats Matt Cain's 1.23.
Matt Cain vs Clayton Kershaw: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Matt Cain or Clayton Kershaw?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Clayton Kershaw leads Matt Cain in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Matt Cain's 3.68.
- Who won more games?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Matt Cain's 104.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Matt Cain's 1,694.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Matt Cain's 1.23.