Roy Halladay vs Clayton Kershaw: Career Stats Comparison
Clayton Kershaw 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). Roy Halladay played 1998–2013 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
Roy Halladay (1998–2013) and Clayton Kershaw (2008–2025) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Roy Halladay finished with 203 wins and 2,117 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 Roy Halladay's 3.38.
- Who won more games? Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Roy Halladay's 203.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Roy Halladay's 2,117.
- Who had the better WHIP? Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Roy Halladay's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Clayton Kershaw, with 2,855.1 to Roy Halladay's 2,749.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Roy Halladay, with 20 to Clayton Kershaw's 15.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Clayton Kershaw, with 93,455 career Pitcher PIV to Roy Halladay's 66,478.
Roy Halladay
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 1990s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roy Halladay | Clayton Kershaw |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 203 | Leads: 223 |
| Losses not scored | 105 | 96 |
| Games | 416 | Leads: 455 |
| Games Started | 390 | Leads: 451 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 67 | 25 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 20 | 15 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,117 | Leads: 3,052 |
| Walks not scored | 592 | 713 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,646 | 2,193 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 236 | 235 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,749.1 | Leads: 2,855.1 |
| ERA | 3.38 | Leads: 2.53 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.02 |
| K/9 | 6.93 | Leads: 9.62 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.94 | 2.25 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw outpaces Roy Halladay 93,455 to 66,478 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,192 PIV per season to 4,155, across 18 seasons to 16. 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).
Roy Halladay — 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 Roy Halladay 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 Roy Halladay and Clayton Kershaw careers compare
The careers of Roy Halladay (1998–2013) and Clayton Kershaw (2008–2025) overlapped from 2008 to 2013, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 416 games against 455 across 16 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Roy Halladay are complete games (67 to 25), shutouts (20 to 15), and saves (1 to 0). By rate, Roy Halladay struck out 6.93 and walked 1.94 per nine innings; Clayton Kershaw struck out 9.62 and walked 2.25. Both had the same role: Roy Halladay was mainly a starter (390 starts in 416 games); Clayton Kershaw was mainly a starter (451 starts in 455 games).
Roy Halladay vs Clayton Kershaw: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roy Halladay or Clayton Kershaw?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Clayton Kershaw leads Roy Halladay in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Roy Halladay's 3.38.
- Who won more games?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Roy Halladay's 203.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Roy Halladay's 2,117.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Roy Halladay's 1.18.