Tim Hudson vs Corey Kluber: Career Stats Comparison

Tim Hudson has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Tim Hudson played 1999–2015 as a pitcher; Corey Kluber played 2011–2023 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

Tim Hudson (1999–2015) and Corey Kluber (2011–2023) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Tim Hudson finished with 222 wins and 2,080 strikeouts; Corey Kluber finished with 116 wins and 1,725 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Quick answer

  • Who had the better ERA? Corey Kluber, with 3.44 to Tim Hudson's 3.49.
  • Who won more games? Tim Hudson, with 222 to Corey Kluber's 116.
  • Who recorded more strikeouts? Tim Hudson, with 2,080 to Corey Kluber's 1,725.
  • Who had the better WHIP? Corey Kluber, with 1.13 to Tim Hudson's 1.24.
  • Who pitched more innings? Tim Hudson, with 3,126.2 to Corey Kluber's 1,641.2.
  • Who threw more shutouts? Tim Hudson, with 13 to Corey Kluber's 8.
  • Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tim Hudson, with 40,402 career Pitcher PIV to Corey Kluber's 36,049.
Leads Tim Hudson 7 of 12 scored categories
Pitcher PIV edge Tim Hudson +4,353
Read the verdict ↓

Tim Hudson

Pitcher · 1999–2015
Wins
222
Losses
133
Strikeouts
2,080
ERA
3.49
WHIP
1.24
IP
3,126.2
View Tim Hudson's full profile →

Corey Kluber

Pitcher · 2011–2023
Wins
116
Losses
77
Strikeouts
1,725
ERA
3.44
WHIP
1.13
IP
1,641.2
View Corey Kluber's full profile →

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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.

Tim Hudson vs Corey Kluber: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Tim Hudson Corey Kluber
Wins Leads: 222 116
Losses not scored 133 77
Games Leads: 482 271
Games Started Leads: 479 260
Complete Games Leads: 26 18
Shutouts Leads: 13 8
Saves 0 Leads: 1
Strikeouts Leads: 2,080 1,725
Walks not scored 917 368
Hits Allowed not scored 2,957 1,486
Home Runs Allowed not scored 248 177
Innings Pitched Leads: 3,126.2 1,641.2
ERA 3.49 Leads: 3.44
WHIP 1.24 Leads: 1.13
K/9 5.99 Leads: 9.46
BB/9 2.64 Leads: 2.02

PIV Comparison through 2025

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tim Hudson leads Corey Kluber 40,402 to 36,049 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Tim Hudson played 17 seasons to Corey Kluber's 13, while Corey Kluber carries the higher per-season figure (2,773 to 2,377). 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.

Tim Hudson
40,402
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,377 per season (17 seasons)
Corey Kluber
36,049
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,773 per season (13 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).

Tim Hudson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20032.70 ERA16-7, 162 K in 240 IP
20102.83 ERA17-9, 139 K in 228 IP
20022.98 ERA15-9, 152 K in 238 IP

Corey Kluber — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20172.25 ERA18-4, 265 K in 203 IP
20142.44 ERA18-9, 269 K in 235 IP
20182.89 ERA20-7, 222 K in 215 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Tim Hudson leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Corey Kluber owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tim Hudson. PIV agrees: Tim Hudson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

Related Matchups

How the Tim Hudson and Corey Kluber careers compare

Tim Hudson and Corey Kluber were active at the same time between 2011 and 2015. The table compares 482 games of Tim Hudson with 271 of Corey Kluber across 17 and 13 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. By rate, Tim Hudson struck out 5.99 and walked 2.64 per nine innings; Corey Kluber struck out 9.46 and walked 2.02. Tim Hudson was mainly a starter (479 starts in 482 games), and Corey Kluber was mainly a starter (260 starts in 271 games). In WHIP, Corey Kluber's 1.13 beats Tim Hudson's 1.24.

Tim Hudson vs Corey Kluber: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Tim Hudson or Corey Kluber?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Tim Hudson leads Corey Kluber in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
Who had the better ERA?
Corey Kluber, with 3.44 to Tim Hudson's 3.49.
Who won more games?
Tim Hudson, with 222 to Corey Kluber's 116.
Who recorded more strikeouts?
Tim Hudson, with 2,080 to Corey Kluber's 1,725.
Who had the better WHIP?
Corey Kluber, with 1.13 to Tim Hudson's 1.24.

See These Players in Another Era