Bartolo Colon vs Justin Verlander: Career Stats Comparison
Justin Verlander has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Bartolo Colon played 1997–2018 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
Bartolo Colon (1997–2018) and Justin Verlander (2005–present) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bartolo Colon finished with 247 wins and 2,535 strikeouts; Justin Verlander has 266 wins and 3,560 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Justin Verlander, with 3.33 to Bartolo Colon's 4.12.
- Who won more games? Justin Verlander, with 266 to Bartolo Colon's 247.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Bartolo Colon's 2,535.
- Who had the better WHIP? Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Bartolo Colon's 1.31.
- Who pitched more innings? Justin Verlander, with 3,576.2 to Bartolo Colon's 3,461.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bartolo Colon, with 13 to Justin Verlander's 9.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Justin Verlander, with 68,171 career Pitcher PIV to Bartolo Colon's 11,835.
Bartolo Colon
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. 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, and the 1990s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Justin Verlander is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Bartolo Colon | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 247 | Leads: 266 |
| Losses not scored | 188 | 159 |
| Games | Leads: 565 | 557 |
| Games Started | 552 | Leads: 557 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 38 | 26 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 13 | 9 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,535 | Leads: 3,560 |
| Walks not scored | 948 | 1,007 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,593 | 3,057 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 439 | 374 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,461.2 | Leads: 3,576.2 |
| ERA | 4.12 | Leads: 3.33 |
| WHIP | 1.31 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 6.59 | Leads: 8.96 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.46 | 2.53 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander outpaces Bartolo Colon 68,171 to 11,835 — driven by per-season impact — 3,099 PIV per season to 515 — rather than by longevity, since Justin Verlander played 22 seasons to Bartolo Colon's 23. 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).
Bartolo Colon — 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, ERA, and WHIP, while Bartolo Colon owns no headline categories. 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
How the Bartolo Colon and Justin Verlander careers compare
The careers of Bartolo Colon (1997–2018) and Justin Verlander (2005–present) overlapped from 2005 to 2018, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 565 games against 557 across 23 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Bartolo Colon comes out ahead, it is in games (565 to 557), complete games (38 to 26), and shutouts (13 to 9). The per-nine rows read 6.59 strikeouts and 2.46 walks for Bartolo Colon, 8.96 and 2.53 for Justin Verlander. Bartolo Colon was mainly a starter (552 starts in 565 games), and Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games). Because Justin Verlander is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Bartolo Colon vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bartolo Colon or Justin Verlander?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Justin Verlander leads Bartolo Colon in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Justin Verlander, with 3.33 to Bartolo Colon's 4.12.
- Who won more games?
- Justin Verlander, with 266 to Bartolo Colon's 247.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Bartolo Colon's 2,535.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Bartolo Colon's 1.31.