Luis Castillo vs Yu Darvish: Career Stats Comparison
Yu Darvish 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). Luis Castillo has played 2017–present as a pitcher; Yu Darvish played 2012–2025 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
Luis Castillo (2017–present) and Yu Darvish (2012–2025) — both came up during the 2010s, so the matchup is a direct one. Luis Castillo has 88 wins and 1,605 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Yu Darvish finished with 115 wins and 2,075 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Yu Darvish, with 3.65 to Luis Castillo's 3.75.
- Who won more games? Yu Darvish, with 115 to Luis Castillo's 88.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Yu Darvish, with 2,075 to Luis Castillo's 1,605.
- Who had the better WHIP? Yu Darvish, with 1.14 to Luis Castillo's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Yu Darvish, with 1,778.0 to Luis Castillo's 1,541.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Yu Darvish, with 1 to Luis Castillo's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Yu Darvish, with 25,371 career Pitcher PIV to Luis Castillo's 18,581.
Luis Castillo
Yu Darvish
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.
Luis Castillo is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Luis Castillo | Yu Darvish |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 88 | Leads: 115 |
| Losses not scored | 95 | 93 |
| Games | 272 | Leads: 297 |
| Games Started | 266 | Leads: 297 |
| Complete Games | 1 | Leads: 2 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,605 | Leads: 2,075 |
| Walks not scored | 497 | 563 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,359 | 1,460 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 199 | 231 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,541.1 | Leads: 1,778.0 |
| ERA | 3.75 | Leads: 3.65 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 9.37 | Leads: 10.50 |
| BB/9 | 2.90 | Leads: 2.85 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Yu Darvish outpaces Luis Castillo 25,371 to 18,581 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Yu Darvish played 14 seasons to Luis Castillo's 10, while Luis Castillo carries the higher per-season figure (1,858 to 1,812). 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).
Luis Castillo — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Yu Darvish — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Yu Darvish leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Luis Castillo owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Yu Darvish. PIV agrees: Yu Darvish grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Luis Castillo and Yu Darvish careers compare
From 2017 through 2025, Luis Castillo and Yu Darvish were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 272 games for Luis Castillo and 297 for Yu Darvish across 10 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Yu Darvish leads every scored row of the table. The per-nine rows read 9.37 strikeouts and 2.90 walks for Luis Castillo, 10.50 and 2.85 for Yu Darvish. Both had the same role: Luis Castillo was mainly a starter (266 starts in 272 games); Yu Darvish was mainly a starter (297 starts in 297 games). In WHIP, Yu Darvish's 1.14 beats Luis Castillo's 1.20. Because Luis Castillo is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Luis Castillo vs Yu Darvish: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Luis Castillo or Yu Darvish?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Yu Darvish leads Luis Castillo in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Yu Darvish, with 3.65 to Luis Castillo's 3.75.
- Who won more games?
- Yu Darvish, with 115 to Luis Castillo's 88.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Yu Darvish, with 2,075 to Luis Castillo's 1,605.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Yu Darvish, with 1.14 to Luis Castillo's 1.20.