Gerrit Cole vs Justin Verlander: Career Stats Comparison
Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander are close to even, splitting the 8 scored categories on this page 4–4 (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). 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) — they debuted in the 2010s and the 2000s respectively and share 7987 seasons. Gerrit Cole has 163 wins and 2,382 strikeouts through the 2026 season; Justin Verlander has 266 wins and 3,560 strikeouts through the 2026 season. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Neither — they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA? Gerrit Cole, with 3.20 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games? Justin Verlander, with 266 to Gerrit Cole's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Gerrit Cole's 2,382.
- Who had the better WHIP? Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.
- How many innings did each pitch? Gerrit Cole 2,081.0, Justin Verlander 3,576.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Justin Verlander, with 9 to Gerrit Cole's 5.
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | Gerrit Cole | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 163 | Leads: 266 |
| Losses not scored | 89 | 159 |
| Games not scored | 339 | 557 |
| Games Started not scored | 339 | 557 |
| Complete Games | 8 | Leads: 26 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 9 |
| Saves not scored | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,382 | Leads: 3,560 |
| Walks not scored | 525 | 1,007 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,742 | 3,057 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 239 | 374 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,081.0 | 3,576.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.20 | 3.33 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.09 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.30 | 8.96 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.27 | 2.53 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander leads Gerrit Cole 68,171 to 51,727 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Justin Verlander played 21 seasons to Gerrit Cole's 13, while Gerrit Cole carries the higher per-season figure (3,979 to 3,246). 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
Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander split the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card 4-4. On the raw scoreboard neither has the edge. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Justin Verlander higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander careers compare
Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander are both active, and their careers have run side by side since 2013. Justin Verlander has the far longer record, 557 games against 339 across 13 and 21 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Justin Verlander's edges on the table are wins (266 to 163), complete games (26 to 8), and shutouts (9 to 5). By rate, Gerrit Cole struck out 10.30 and walked 2.27 per nine innings; Justin Verlander struck out 8.96 and walked 2.53. Gerrit Cole was mainly a starter (339 starts in 339 games), and Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games). In WHIP, Gerrit Cole's 1.09 beats Justin Verlander's 1.14. Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander's totals run through the 2026 season.
Gerrit Cole vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gerrit Cole or Justin Verlander?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, neither leads: they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Gerrit Cole, with 3.20 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- Justin Verlander, with 266 to Gerrit Cole's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Gerrit Cole's 2,382.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.