Randy Johnson vs Scott Kazmir: Career Stats Comparison
Randy Johnson has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Randy Johnson played 1988–2009 as a pitcher; Scott Kazmir played 2004–2021 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
Randy Johnson (1988–2009) and Scott Kazmir (2004–2021) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Randy Johnson finished with 303 wins and 4,875 strikeouts; Scott Kazmir finished with 108 wins and 1,618 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Randy Johnson, with 3.29 to Scott Kazmir's 4.02.
- Who won more games? Randy Johnson, with 303 to Scott Kazmir's 108.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Randy Johnson, with 4,875 to Scott Kazmir's 1,618.
- Who had the better WHIP? Randy Johnson, with 1.17 to Scott Kazmir's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Randy Johnson, with 4,135.1 to Scott Kazmir's 1,701.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Randy Johnson, with 37 to Scott Kazmir's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Randy Johnson, with 122,530 career Pitcher PIV to Scott Kazmir's 7,832.
Randy Johnson
Scott Kazmir
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 1980s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Randy Johnson | Scott Kazmir |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 303 | 108 |
| Losses not scored | 166 | 97 |
| Games | Leads: 618 | 303 |
| Games Started | Leads: 603 | 301 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 100 | 3 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 37 | 1 |
| Saves | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,875 | 1,618 |
| Walks not scored | 1,497 | 687 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,346 | 1,611 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 411 | 193 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,135.1 | 1,701.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.29 | 4.02 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.35 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.61 | 8.56 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.26 | 3.63 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Randy Johnson outpaces Scott Kazmir 122,530 to 7,832 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,105 PIV per season to 522, across 24 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).
Randy Johnson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Scott Kazmir — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Randy Johnson leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Scott Kazmir owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Randy Johnson. PIV agrees: Randy Johnson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Randy Johnson and Scott Kazmir careers compare
Randy Johnson and Scott Kazmir were active at the same time between 2004 and 2009. The table compares 618 games of Randy Johnson with 303 of Scott Kazmir across 24 and 15 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Randy Johnson leads every scored row of the table. By rate, Randy Johnson struck out 10.61 and walked 3.26 per nine innings; Scott Kazmir struck out 8.56 and walked 3.63. Both had the same role: Randy Johnson was mainly a starter (603 starts in 618 games); Scott Kazmir was mainly a starter (301 starts in 303 games). The complete-game row, 100 against 3, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games.
Randy Johnson vs Scott Kazmir: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Randy Johnson or Scott Kazmir?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Randy Johnson leads Scott Kazmir in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Randy Johnson, with 3.29 to Scott Kazmir's 4.02.
- Who won more games?
- Randy Johnson, with 303 to Scott Kazmir's 108.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Randy Johnson, with 4,875 to Scott Kazmir's 1,618.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Randy Johnson, with 1.17 to Scott Kazmir's 1.35.