Jacob deGrom vs Justin Verlander: Career Stats Comparison

Justin Verlander has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 11 statistical categories compared on this page. Jacob deGrom has played 2014–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

Jacob deGrom (2014–present) and Justin Verlander (2005–present) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jacob deGrom compiled 96 wins and 1,851 strikeouts; Justin Verlander put up 266 wins and 3,553 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Quick answer

  • Who had the better ERA? Jacob deGrom, with 2.57 to Justin Verlander's 3.32.
  • Who won more games? Justin Verlander, with 266 to Jacob deGrom's 96.
  • Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,553 to Jacob deGrom's 1,851.
  • Who had the better WHIP? Jacob deGrom, with 0.99 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.
  • Who pitched more innings? Justin Verlander, with 3,567 to Jacob deGrom's 1,539.
  • Who threw more shutouts? Justin Verlander, with 9 to Jacob deGrom's 2.
  • Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Justin Verlander, with 68,171 career Pitcher PIV to Jacob deGrom's 58,656.
Leads Justin Verlander 7 of 11 awarded categories
Pitcher PIV edge Justin Verlander +9,514
Read the verdict ↓

Jacob deGrom

Pitcher · 2014–present
Wins
96
Losses
65
Strikeouts
1,851
ERA
2.57
WHIP
0.99
IP
1,539
View Jacob deGrom's full profile →

Justin Verlander

Pitcher · 2005–present
Wins
266
Losses
158
Strikeouts
3,553
ERA
3.32
WHIP
1.14
IP
3,567
View Justin Verlander's full profile →

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. 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: compare them with the era in mind, or use the PIV card below, which is.

Jacob deGrom vs Justin Verlander: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Jacob deGrom Justin Verlander
Wins 96 Leads: 266
Losses 65 158
Games 248 Leads: 555
Games Started 248 Leads: 555
Complete Games 4 Leads: 26
Shutouts 2 Leads: 9
Saves 0 0
Strikeouts 1,851 Leads: 3,553
Walks 345 1,004
Hits Allowed 1,173 3,046
Home Runs Allowed 146 371
Innings Pitched 1,539 Leads: 3,567
ERA Leads: 2.57 3.32
WHIP Leads: 0.99 1.14
K/9 Leads: 10.82 8.96
BB/9 Leads: 2.02 2.53

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander leads Jacob deGrom 68,171 to 58,656 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,099 vs 4,888 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Jacob deGrom
58,656
Career Pitcher PIV · 4,888 per season (12 seasons)
Justin Verlander
68,171
Career Pitcher PIV · 3,099 per season (22 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).

Jacob deGrom — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20181.70 ERA10-9, 269 K in 217 IP
20192.43 ERA11-8, 255 K in 204 IP
20152.54 ERA14-8, 205 K in 191 IP

Justin Verlander — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20221.75 ERA18-4, 185 K in 175 IP
20112.40 ERA24-5, 250 K in 251 IP
20182.52 ERA16-9, 290 K in 214 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Justin Verlander leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Jacob deGrom owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. 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

Jacob deGrom vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Jacob deGrom or Justin Verlander?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Justin Verlander leads Jacob deGrom in 7 of 11 categories.
Who had the better ERA?
Jacob deGrom, with 2.57 to Justin Verlander's 3.32.
Who won more games?
Justin Verlander, with 266 to Jacob deGrom's 96.
Who recorded more strikeouts?
Justin Verlander, with 3,553 to Jacob deGrom's 1,851.
Who had the better WHIP?
Jacob deGrom, with 0.99 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.

See These Players in Another Era