Kenley Jansen 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). Kenley Jansen has played 2010–present 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
Kenley Jansen (2010–present) and Clayton Kershaw (2008–2025) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Kenley Jansen has 58 wins and 1,329 strikeouts through October 6, 2026; 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 Kenley Jansen's 2.60.
- Who won more games? Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Kenley Jansen's 58.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Kenley Jansen's 1,329.
- Who had the better WHIP? Kenley Jansen, with 0.97 to Clayton Kershaw's 1.02.
- Who pitched more innings? Clayton Kershaw, with 2,855.1 to Kenley Jansen's 972.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 15 to Kenley Jansen's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Clayton Kershaw, with 93,455 career Pitcher PIV to Kenley Jansen's 34,863.
Kenley Jansen
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 2010s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Kenley Jansen is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Kenley Jansen | Clayton Kershaw |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 58 | Leads: 223 |
| Losses not scored | 46 | 96 |
| Games | Leads: 983 | 455 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 451 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 25 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 15 |
| Saves | Leads: 498 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,329 | Leads: 3,052 |
| Walks not scored | 305 | 713 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 634 | 2,193 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 95 | 235 |
| Innings Pitched | 972.1 | Leads: 2,855.1 |
| ERA | 2.60 | Leads: 2.53 |
| WHIP | Leads: 0.97 | 1.02 |
| K/9 | Leads: 12.30 | 9.62 |
| BB/9 | 2.82 | Leads: 2.25 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw outpaces Kenley Jansen 93,455 to 34,863 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,192 PIV per season to 2,179, 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).
Kenley Jansen
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
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 innings pitched, while Kenley Jansen owns WHIP and K/9. 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 Kenley Jansen and Clayton Kershaw careers compare
Kenley Jansen and Clayton Kershaw were active at the same time between 2010 and 2025. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Kenley Jansen has appeared in 983 games to Clayton Kershaw's 455. The green cells for Kenley Jansen are games (983 to 455), saves (498 to 0), and WHIP (0.97 to 1.02). By rate, Kenley Jansen struck out 12.30 and walked 2.82 per nine innings; Clayton Kershaw struck out 9.62 and walked 2.25. Their roles differ: Kenley Jansen worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 983 games, 498 saves); Clayton Kershaw was mainly a starter (451 starts in 455 games). Because Kenley Jansen is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Kenley Jansen vs Clayton Kershaw: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Kenley Jansen or Clayton Kershaw?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Clayton Kershaw leads Kenley Jansen in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Kenley Jansen's 2.60.
- Who won more games?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Kenley Jansen's 58.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Kenley Jansen's 1,329.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Kenley Jansen, with 0.97 to Clayton Kershaw's 1.02.