Yu Darvish vs Paul Skenes: Career Stats Comparison
Yu Darvish 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; Paul Skenes has played 2024–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
Yu Darvish (2012–2025) and Paul Skenes (2024–present) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Yu Darvish finished with 115 wins and 2,075 strikeouts; Paul Skenes has 31 wins and 586 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Yu Darvish's 3.65.
- Who won more games? Yu Darvish, with 115 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Yu Darvish, with 2,075 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP? Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Yu Darvish's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Yu Darvish, with 1,778.0 to Paul Skenes's 495.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Yu Darvish, with 1 to Paul Skenes's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Yu Darvish, with 25,371 career Pitcher PIV to Paul Skenes's 14,331.
Yu Darvish
Paul Skenes
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 2010s and the 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Paul Skenes is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Yu Darvish | Paul Skenes |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 115 | 31 |
| Losses not scored | 93 | 24 |
| Games | Leads: 297 | 87 |
| Games Started | Leads: 297 | 87 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 2 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,075 | 586 |
| Walks not scored | 563 | 123 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,460 | 376 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 231 | 41 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,778.0 | 495.0 |
| ERA | 3.65 | Leads: 2.62 |
| WHIP | 1.14 | Leads: 1.01 |
| K/9 | 10.50 | Leads: 10.65 |
| BB/9 | 2.85 | Leads: 2.24 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Yu Darvish outpaces Paul Skenes 25,371 to 14,331 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Yu Darvish played 14 seasons to Paul Skenes's 2, while Paul Skenes carries the higher per-season figure (7,166 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).
Yu Darvish — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Paul Skenes — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Yu Darvish leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Paul Skenes owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. 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 Yu Darvish and Paul Skenes careers compare
Yu Darvish and Paul Skenes were active at the same time between 2024 and 2025. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Yu Darvish appeared in 297 games to Paul Skenes's 87. The green cells for Paul Skenes are ERA (2.62 to 3.65), WHIP (1.01 to 1.14), and strikeouts per nine (10.65 to 10.50). The per-nine rows read 10.50 strikeouts and 2.85 walks for Yu Darvish, 10.65 and 2.24 for Paul Skenes. Both had the same role: Yu Darvish was mainly a starter (297 starts in 297 games); Paul Skenes was mainly a starter (87 starts in 87 games). Because Paul Skenes is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Yu Darvish vs Paul Skenes: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Yu Darvish or Paul Skenes?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Yu Darvish leads Paul Skenes in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Yu Darvish's 3.65.
- Who won more games?
- Yu Darvish, with 115 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Yu Darvish, with 2,075 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Yu Darvish's 1.14.