Dan Haren vs Clayton Kershaw: Career Stats Comparison
Clayton Kershaw has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Dan Haren played 2003–2015 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
Dan Haren (2003–2015) and Clayton Kershaw (2008–2025) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Dan Haren finished with 153 wins and 2,013 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 Dan Haren's 3.75.
- Who won more games? Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Dan Haren's 153.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Dan Haren's 2,013.
- Who had the better WHIP? Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Dan Haren's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Clayton Kershaw, with 2,855.1 to Dan Haren's 2,419.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 15 to Dan Haren's 6.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Clayton Kershaw, with 93,455 career Pitcher PIV to Dan Haren's 24,951.
Dan Haren
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dan Haren | Clayton Kershaw |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 153 | Leads: 223 |
| Losses not scored | 131 | 96 |
| Games | 391 | Leads: 455 |
| Games Started | 380 | Leads: 451 |
| Complete Games | 16 | Leads: 25 |
| Shutouts | 6 | Leads: 15 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,013 | Leads: 3,052 |
| Walks not scored | 500 | 713 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,357 | 2,193 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 305 | 235 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,419.2 | Leads: 2,855.1 |
| ERA | 3.75 | Leads: 2.53 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.02 |
| K/9 | 7.49 | Leads: 9.62 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.86 | 2.25 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw outpaces Dan Haren 93,455 to 24,951 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,192 PIV per season to 1,663, across 18 seasons to 15. 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).
Dan Haren — 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 Dan Haren 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 Dan Haren and Clayton Kershaw careers compare
Dan Haren and Clayton Kershaw were active at the same time between 2008 and 2015. The two careers are close in length, 391 games for Dan Haren and 455 for Clayton Kershaw across 15 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Dan Haren comes out ahead, it is in saves (1 to 0) and walks per nine (1.86 to 2.25). The per-nine rows read 7.49 strikeouts and 1.86 walks for Dan Haren, 9.62 and 2.25 for Clayton Kershaw. Dan Haren was mainly a starter (380 starts in 391 games), and Clayton Kershaw was mainly a starter (451 starts in 455 games).
Dan Haren vs Clayton Kershaw: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dan Haren or Clayton Kershaw?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Clayton Kershaw leads Dan Haren in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Dan Haren's 3.75.
- Who won more games?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Dan Haren's 153.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Dan Haren's 2,013.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Dan Haren's 1.18.