Felix Hernandez vs Clayton Kershaw: Career Stats Comparison
Clayton Kershaw 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). Felix Hernandez played 2005–2019 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
Felix Hernandez (2005–2019) and Clayton Kershaw (2008–2025) — both debuted in the 2000s. Felix Hernandez finished with 169 wins and 2,524 strikeouts; Clayton Kershaw finished with 223 wins and 3,052 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Clayton Kershaw, in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Felix Hernandez's 3.42.
- Who won more games? Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Felix Hernandez's 169.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Felix Hernandez's 2,524.
- Who had the better WHIP? Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Felix Hernandez's 1.21.
- How many innings did each pitch? Felix Hernandez 2,729.2, Clayton Kershaw 2,855.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 15 to Felix Hernandez's 11.
Felix Hernandez
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. 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 | Felix Hernandez | Clayton Kershaw |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 169 | Leads: 223 |
| Losses not scored | 136 | 96 |
| Games not scored | 419 | 455 |
| Games Started not scored | 418 | 451 |
| Complete Games | 25 | 25 |
| Shutouts | 11 | Leads: 15 |
| Saves not scored | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,524 | Leads: 3,052 |
| Walks not scored | 805 | 713 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,487 | 2,193 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 264 | 235 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,729.2 | 2,855.1 |
| ERA | 3.42 | Leads: 2.53 |
| WHIP | 1.21 | Leads: 1.02 |
| K/9 | 8.32 | Leads: 9.62 |
| BB/9 | 2.65 | Leads: 2.25 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw outpaces Felix Hernandez 93,455 to 44,530 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,192 PIV per season to 2,969, across 18 seasons to 15. 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).
Felix Hernandez — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Clayton Kershaw — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Clayton Kershaw leads 7 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, shutouts, strikeouts, ERA, and others. Felix Hernandez leads 0: no scored category. 1 is tied. 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 Felix Hernandez and Clayton Kershaw careers compare
Felix Hernandez and Clayton Kershaw were active at the same time between 2008 and 2019. With 419 games against 455 across 15 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Clayton Kershaw leads every scored row of the table. The per-nine rows read 8.32 strikeouts and 2.65 walks for Felix Hernandez, 9.62 and 2.25 for Clayton Kershaw. Both had the same role: Felix Hernandez was mainly a starter (418 starts in 419 games); Clayton Kershaw was mainly a starter (451 starts in 455 games). In WHIP, Clayton Kershaw's 1.02 beats Felix Hernandez's 1.21.
Felix Hernandez vs Clayton Kershaw: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Felix Hernandez or Clayton Kershaw?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Clayton Kershaw leads Felix Hernandez in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Felix Hernandez's 3.42.
- Who won more games?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Felix Hernandez's 169.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Felix Hernandez's 2,524.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Felix Hernandez's 1.21.