Gerrit Cole vs Justin Verlander: Career Stats Comparison
Justin Verlander has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 11 statistical categories compared on this page. Gerrit Cole has played 2013–present as a pitcher; Justin Verlander has played 2005–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
Gerrit Cole (2013–present) and Justin Verlander (2005–present) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Gerrit Cole compiled 153 wins and 2,251 strikeouts; Justin Verlander put up 266 wins and 3,553 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Gerrit Cole, with 3.18 to Justin Verlander's 3.32.
- Who won more games? Justin Verlander, with 266 to Gerrit Cole's 153.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,553 to Gerrit Cole's 2,251.
- Who had the better WHIP? Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Justin Verlander, with 3,567 to Gerrit Cole's 1,954.
- Who threw more shutouts? Justin Verlander, with 9 to Gerrit Cole's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Justin Verlander, with 68,171 career Pitcher PIV to Gerrit Cole's 50,909.
Gerrit Cole
Justin Verlander
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. 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: compare them with the era in mind, or use the PIV card below, which is.
| Statistic | Gerrit Cole | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 153 | Leads: 266 |
| Losses | 80 | 158 |
| Games | 317 | Leads: 555 |
| Games Started | 317 | Leads: 555 |
| Complete Games | 8 | Leads: 26 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 9 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,251 | Leads: 3,553 |
| Walks | 500 | 1,004 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,627 | 3,046 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 217 | 371 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,954 | Leads: 3,567 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.18 | 3.32 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.09 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.37 | 8.96 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.30 | 2.53 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander outpaces Gerrit Cole 68,171 to 50,909 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,099 vs 4,242 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Gerrit Cole — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Justin Verlander — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Justin Verlander leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Gerrit Cole owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Justin Verlander. PIV agrees: Justin Verlander grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Gerrit Cole vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gerrit Cole or Justin Verlander?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Justin Verlander leads Gerrit Cole in 7 of 11 categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Gerrit Cole, with 3.18 to Justin Verlander's 3.32.
- Who won more games?
- Justin Verlander, with 266 to Gerrit Cole's 153.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,553 to Gerrit Cole's 2,251.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.