Dizzy Dean 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). Dizzy Dean played 1930–1947 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
Dizzy Dean (1930–1947) and Justin Verlander (2005–present) — breaking in during the 1930s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Dizzy Dean finished with 150 wins and 1,163 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? Dizzy Dean, with 3.02 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games? Justin Verlander, with 266 to Dizzy Dean's 150.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Dizzy Dean's 1,163.
- Who had the better WHIP? Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Dizzy Dean's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? Justin Verlander, with 3,576.2 to Dizzy Dean's 1,967.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Dizzy Dean, with 26 to Justin Verlander's 9.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Justin Verlander, with 68,171 career Pitcher PIV to Dizzy Dean's 47,994.
Dizzy Dean
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 1930s 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 | Dizzy Dean | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 150 | Leads: 266 |
| Losses not scored | 83 | 159 |
| Games | 317 | Leads: 557 |
| Games Started | 230 | Leads: 557 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 154 | 26 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 26 | 9 |
| Saves | Leads: 30 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,163 | Leads: 3,560 |
| Walks not scored | 453 | 1,007 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,919 | 3,057 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 95 | 374 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,967.1 | Leads: 3,576.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.02 | 3.33 |
| WHIP | 1.21 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.32 | Leads: 8.96 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.07 | 2.53 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander outpaces Dizzy Dean 68,171 to 47,994 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Justin Verlander played 22 seasons to Dizzy Dean's 12, while Dizzy Dean carries the higher per-season figure (4,000 to 3,099). 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).
Dizzy Dean — 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, WHIP, and K/9, while Dizzy Dean owns ERA. 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 Dizzy Dean and Justin Verlander careers compare
Dizzy Dean (1930–1947) was finished before Justin Verlander (2005–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 317 games of Dizzy Dean with 557 of Justin Verlander across 12 and 22 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The per-nine rows read 5.32 strikeouts and 2.07 walks for Dizzy Dean, 8.96 and 2.53 for Justin Verlander. Both had the same role: Dizzy Dean was mainly a starter (230 starts in 317 games); Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games). The complete-game row, 154 against 26, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. In WHIP, Justin Verlander's 1.14 beats Dizzy Dean's 1.21. Because Justin Verlander is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Dizzy Dean vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dizzy Dean or Justin Verlander?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Justin Verlander leads Dizzy Dean in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Dizzy Dean, with 3.02 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- Justin Verlander, with 266 to Dizzy Dean's 150.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Dizzy Dean's 1,163.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Dizzy Dean's 1.21.