Zack Greinke vs Justin Verlander: Career Stats Comparison
Justin Verlander has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Zack Greinke played 2004–2023 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
Zack Greinke (2004–2023) and Justin Verlander (2005–present) — both debuted in the 2000s. Zack Greinke finished with 225 wins and 2,979 strikeouts; Justin Verlander has 266 wins and 3,560 strikeouts through the 2026 season. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Justin Verlander, in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Justin Verlander, with 3.33 to Zack Greinke's 3.49.
- Who won more games? Justin Verlander, with 266 to Zack Greinke's 225.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Zack Greinke's 2,979.
- Who had the better WHIP? Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Zack Greinke's 1.17.
- How many innings did each pitch? Zack Greinke 3,389.1, Justin Verlander 3,576.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Justin Verlander, with 9 to Zack Greinke's 5.
Zack Greinke
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Zack Greinke | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 225 | Leads: 266 |
| Losses not scored | 156 | 159 |
| Games not scored | 586 | 557 |
| Games Started not scored | 541 | 557 |
| Complete Games | 17 | Leads: 26 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 9 |
| Saves not scored | 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,979 | Leads: 3,560 |
| Walks not scored | 762 | 1,007 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,207 | 3,057 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 367 | 374 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,389.1 | 3,576.2 |
| ERA | 3.49 | Leads: 3.33 |
| WHIP | 1.17 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 7.91 | Leads: 8.96 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.02 | 2.53 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander leads Zack Greinke 68,171 to 58,246 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,246 PIV per season to 2,912, across 21 seasons to 20. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Zack Greinke — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Justin Verlander — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Justin Verlander leads 7 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Zack Greinke leads 1: walks per nine. 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 Zack Greinke and Justin Verlander careers compare
From 2005 through 2023, Zack Greinke and Justin Verlander were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 586 games for Zack Greinke and 557 for Justin Verlander across 20 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Zack Greinke are walks per nine (2.02 to 2.53). By rate, Zack Greinke struck out 7.91 and walked 2.02 per nine innings; Justin Verlander struck out 8.96 and walked 2.53. Zack Greinke was mainly a starter (541 starts in 586 games), and Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games). Justin Verlander allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.14 WHIP to Zack Greinke's 1.17. Justin Verlander's totals run through the 2026 season.
Zack Greinke vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Zack Greinke or Justin Verlander?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Justin Verlander leads Zack Greinke in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Justin Verlander, with 3.33 to Zack Greinke's 3.49.
- Who won more games?
- Justin Verlander, with 266 to Zack Greinke's 225.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Zack Greinke's 2,979.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Zack Greinke's 1.17.