Clayton Kershaw vs Corey Kluber: Career Stats Comparison

Clayton Kershaw (2008–present) and Corey Kluber (2011–2023) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Clayton Kershaw compiled 223 wins and 3,052 strikeouts; Corey Kluber put up 116 wins and 1,725 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Clayton Kershaw

Pitcher · 2008–present
Wins
223
Losses
96
Strikeouts
3,052
ERA
2.53
WHIP
1.02
IP
2,855
View Clayton Kershaw's full profile →

Corey Kluber

Pitcher · 2011–2023
Wins
116
Losses
77
Strikeouts
1,725
ERA
3.44
WHIP
1.13
IP
1,641
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.

Statistic Clayton Kershaw Corey Kluber
Wins 223 116
Losses 96 77
Games 455 271
Games Started 451 260
Complete Games 25 18
Shutouts 15 8
Saves 0 1
Strikeouts 3,052 1,725
Walks 713 368
Hits Allowed 2,193 1,486
Home Runs Allowed 235 177
Innings Pitched 2,855 1,641
ERA 2.53 3.44
WHIP 1.02 1.13
K/9 9.62 9.46
BB/9 2.25 2.02

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw outpaces Corey Kluber 93,455 to 36,049 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (5,192 vs 2,773 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Clayton Kershaw
93,455
Career Pitcher PIV · 5,192 per season (18 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).

Clayton Kershaw — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20161.69 ERA12-4, 172 K in 149 IP
20141.77 ERA21-3, 239 K in 198 IP
20131.83 ERA16-9, 232 K in 236 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, Clayton Kershaw leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Corey Kluber 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.

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