Sonny Gray vs Clayton Kershaw: Career Stats Comparison
Clayton Kershaw has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Sonny Gray has played 2013–present 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
Sonny Gray (2013–present) and Clayton Kershaw (2008–2025) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Sonny Gray has 143 wins and 2,074 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; 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 Sonny Gray's 3.51.
- Who won more games? Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Sonny Gray's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Sonny Gray's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP? Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Sonny Gray's 1.19.
- Who pitched more innings? Clayton Kershaw, with 2,855.1 to Sonny Gray's 2,087.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 15 to Sonny Gray's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Clayton Kershaw, with 93,455 career Pitcher PIV to Sonny Gray's 31,195.
Sonny Gray
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 2010s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Sonny Gray is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Sonny Gray | Clayton Kershaw |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 143 | Leads: 223 |
| Losses not scored | 107 | 96 |
| Games | 368 | Leads: 455 |
| Games Started | 359 | Leads: 451 |
| Complete Games | 7 | Leads: 25 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 15 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,074 | Leads: 3,052 |
| Walks not scored | 667 | 713 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,823 | 2,193 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 208 | 235 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,087.0 | Leads: 2,855.1 |
| ERA | 3.51 | Leads: 2.53 |
| WHIP | 1.19 | Leads: 1.02 |
| K/9 | 8.94 | Leads: 9.62 |
| BB/9 | 2.88 | Leads: 2.25 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw outpaces Sonny Gray 93,455 to 31,195 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,192 PIV per season to 2,228, across 18 seasons to 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).
Sonny Gray — 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 wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Sonny Gray owns no headline categories. 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 Sonny Gray and Clayton Kershaw careers compare
Sonny Gray and Clayton Kershaw were active at the same time between 2013 and 2025. The two careers are close in length, 368 games for Sonny Gray and 455 for Clayton Kershaw across 14 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Clayton Kershaw leads every scored row of the table. By rate, Sonny Gray struck out 8.94 and walked 2.88 per nine innings; Clayton Kershaw struck out 9.62 and walked 2.25. Both had the same role: Sonny Gray was mainly a starter (359 starts in 368 games); Clayton Kershaw was mainly a starter (451 starts in 455 games). In WHIP, Clayton Kershaw's 1.02 beats Sonny Gray's 1.19. Because Sonny Gray is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Sonny Gray vs Clayton Kershaw: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sonny Gray or Clayton Kershaw?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Clayton Kershaw leads Sonny Gray in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Sonny Gray's 3.51.
- Who won more games?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Sonny Gray's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Sonny Gray's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Sonny Gray's 1.19.