Bob Gibson vs Clayton Kershaw: Career Stats Comparison
Bob Gibson has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Bob Gibson played 1959–1975 as a pitcher; Clayton Kershaw played 2008–2025 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
Bob Gibson (1959–1975) and Clayton Kershaw (2008–2025) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bob Gibson finished with 251 wins and 3,117 strikeouts; Clayton Kershaw finished with 223 wins and 3,052 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Bob Gibson's 2.91.
- Who won more games? Bob Gibson, with 251 to Clayton Kershaw's 223.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Clayton Kershaw's 3,052.
- Who had the better WHIP? Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Bob Gibson's 1.19.
- Who pitched more innings? Bob Gibson, with 3,884.1 to Clayton Kershaw's 2,855.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Gibson, with 56 to Clayton Kershaw's 15.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Clayton Kershaw, with 93,455 career Pitcher PIV to Bob Gibson's 69,720.
Bob Gibson
Clayton Kershaw
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 1950s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bob Gibson | Clayton Kershaw |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 251 | 223 |
| Losses not scored | 174 | 96 |
| Games | Leads: 528 | 455 |
| Games Started | Leads: 482 | 451 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 255 | 25 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 56 | 15 |
| Saves | Leads: 6 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,117 | 3,052 |
| Walks not scored | 1,336 | 713 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,279 | 2,193 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 257 | 235 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,884.1 | 2,855.1 |
| ERA | 2.91 | Leads: 2.53 |
| WHIP | 1.19 | Leads: 1.02 |
| K/9 | 7.22 | Leads: 9.62 |
| BB/9 | 3.10 | Leads: 2.25 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw outpaces Bob Gibson 93,455 to 69,720 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,192 PIV per season to 4,101, across 18 seasons to 17. 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).
Bob Gibson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Clayton Kershaw — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Clayton Kershaw leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Bob Gibson owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Clayton Kershaw. PIV agrees: Clayton Kershaw grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bob Gibson and Clayton Kershaw careers compare
No season is shared: Bob Gibson played 1959–1975, Clayton Kershaw 2008–2025. With 528 games against 455 across 17 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Clayton Kershaw comes out ahead, it is in ERA (2.53 to 2.91), WHIP (1.02 to 1.19), and strikeouts per nine (9.62 to 7.22). The per-nine rows read 7.22 strikeouts and 3.10 walks for Bob Gibson, 9.62 and 2.25 for Clayton Kershaw. Bob Gibson was mainly a starter (482 starts in 528 games), and Clayton Kershaw was mainly a starter (451 starts in 455 games). Complete games (255 to 25) show how differently the two eras used starters.
Bob Gibson vs Clayton Kershaw: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bob Gibson or Clayton Kershaw?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bob Gibson leads Clayton Kershaw in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Bob Gibson's 2.91.
- Who won more games?
- Bob Gibson, with 251 to Clayton Kershaw's 223.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Clayton Kershaw's 3,052.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Bob Gibson's 1.19.