Yu Darvish vs Corey Kluber: Career Stats Comparison
Corey Kluber 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). Yu Darvish played 2012–2025 as a pitcher; Corey Kluber played 2011–2023 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
Yu Darvish (2012–2025) and Corey Kluber (2011–2023) — both came up during the 2010s, so the matchup is a direct one. Yu Darvish finished with 115 wins and 2,075 strikeouts; Corey Kluber finished with 116 wins and 1,725 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Corey Kluber, with 3.44 to Yu Darvish's 3.65.
- Who won more games? Corey Kluber, with 116 to Yu Darvish's 115.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Yu Darvish, with 2,075 to Corey Kluber's 1,725.
- Who had the better WHIP? Corey Kluber, with 1.13 to Yu Darvish's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Yu Darvish, with 1,778.0 to Corey Kluber's 1,641.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Corey Kluber, with 8 to Yu Darvish's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Corey Kluber, with 36,049 career Pitcher PIV to Yu Darvish's 25,371.
Yu Darvish
Corey Kluber
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 | Yu Darvish | Corey Kluber |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 115 | Leads: 116 |
| Losses not scored | 93 | 77 |
| Games | Leads: 297 | 271 |
| Games Started | Leads: 297 | 260 |
| Complete Games | 2 | Leads: 18 |
| Shutouts | 1 | Leads: 8 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,075 | 1,725 |
| Walks not scored | 563 | 368 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,460 | 1,486 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 231 | 177 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,778.0 | 1,641.2 |
| ERA | 3.65 | Leads: 3.44 |
| WHIP | 1.14 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.50 | 9.46 |
| BB/9 | 2.85 | Leads: 2.02 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Corey Kluber outpaces Yu Darvish 36,049 to 25,371 — driven by per-season impact — 2,773 PIV per season to 1,812 — rather than by longevity, since Corey Kluber played 13 seasons to Yu Darvish's 14. 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).
Yu Darvish — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Corey Kluber — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Corey Kluber leads in wins, ERA, and WHIP, while Yu Darvish owns strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Corey Kluber. PIV agrees: Corey Kluber grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Yu Darvish and Corey Kluber careers compare
Yu Darvish and Corey Kluber were active at the same time between 2012 and 2023. The two careers are close in length, 297 games for Yu Darvish and 271 for Corey Kluber across 14 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 10.50 strikeouts and 2.85 walks for Yu Darvish, 9.46 and 2.02 for Corey Kluber. Yu Darvish was mainly a starter (297 starts in 297 games), and Corey Kluber was mainly a starter (260 starts in 271 games). Corey Kluber allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.13 WHIP to Yu Darvish's 1.14.
Yu Darvish vs Corey Kluber: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Yu Darvish or Corey Kluber?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Corey Kluber leads Yu Darvish in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Corey Kluber, with 3.44 to Yu Darvish's 3.65.
- Who won more games?
- Corey Kluber, with 116 to Yu Darvish's 115.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Yu Darvish, with 2,075 to Corey Kluber's 1,725.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Corey Kluber, with 1.13 to Yu Darvish's 1.14.