Clayton Kershaw vs Jon Lester: Career Stats Comparison
Clayton Kershaw has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Clayton Kershaw played 2008–2025 as a pitcher; Jon Lester played 2006–2021 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
Clayton Kershaw (2008–2025) and Jon Lester (2006–2021) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Clayton Kershaw finished with 223 wins and 3,052 strikeouts; Jon Lester finished with 200 wins and 2,488 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 Jon Lester's 3.66.
- Who won more games? Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Jon Lester's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Jon Lester's 2,488.
- Who had the better WHIP? Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Jon Lester's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Clayton Kershaw, with 2,855.1 to Jon Lester's 2,740.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 15 to Jon Lester's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Clayton Kershaw, with 93,455 career Pitcher PIV to Jon Lester's 26,549.
Clayton Kershaw
Jon Lester
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Clayton Kershaw | Jon Lester |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 223 | 200 |
| Losses not scored | 96 | 117 |
| Games | Leads: 455 | 452 |
| Games Started | 451 | 451 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 25 | 15 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 15 | 4 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,052 | 2,488 |
| Walks not scored | 713 | 892 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,193 | 2,610 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 235 | 294 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,855.1 | 2,740.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.53 | 3.66 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.02 | 1.28 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.62 | 8.17 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.25 | 2.93 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw outpaces Jon Lester 93,455 to 26,549 — driven by per-season impact — 5,192 PIV per season to 1,475 — rather than by longevity, since Clayton Kershaw played 18 seasons to Jon Lester's 18. 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).
Clayton Kershaw — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Jon Lester — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Clayton Kershaw leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Jon Lester 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.
Related Matchups
How the Clayton Kershaw and Jon Lester careers compare
From 2008 through 2021, Clayton Kershaw and Jon Lester were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 455 games for Clayton Kershaw and 452 for Jon Lester across 18 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Clayton Kershaw leads every scored row of the table. The per-nine rows read 9.62 strikeouts and 2.25 walks for Clayton Kershaw, 8.17 and 2.93 for Jon Lester. Both had the same role: Clayton Kershaw was mainly a starter (451 starts in 455 games); Jon Lester was mainly a starter (451 starts in 452 games). In WHIP, Clayton Kershaw's 1.02 beats Jon Lester's 1.28.
Clayton Kershaw vs Jon Lester: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Clayton Kershaw or Jon Lester?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Clayton Kershaw leads Jon Lester in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Jon Lester's 3.66.
- Who won more games?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Jon Lester's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Jon Lester's 2,488.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Jon Lester's 1.28.